The Light of Laputa
by NakanoHana
Summary: Based on Miyazaki's "Castle in the Sky." Lea never thought he'd see anything different in this boring little mining town. He never thought he'd see a boy fall down from the sky. But he did. Rated for language, theme, and violence. R&R please
1. Chapter 1

Writing a new one, this time without Axel and Roxas as the mains. El gasp!...Yeah, right. It's them behind the smoke and mirrors of somebody-ness. Also, if you don't recognize a character, try putting an X in their name and jumbling it around a bit. Some of them I had to improvise because not everyone has an official "name" yet. Ball's in your court, Square Enix :)

Hope you like it. Hope someone will actually read it, because I know there isn't much interest in this pairing. It's mostly going to be friendship, methinks, with some romance on the side.

* * *

The night was relatively smooth and peaceful, until a tremor shook through the airship.

Passengers screamed as the ship swayed dangerously, the captain's voice teetering on the unhinged even as he tried to calm them over the radio.

"Everyone remain calm! It's just a bit of turbulence! Nothing to worry about! Please, remain in your seats! There are safety buckles- What the? W-Who the devil are-"

His voice was suddenly cut off, however, and after some pounding and static, a shrill new voice rang over the crowd.

"Sorry to interrupt the pleasure cruise, but we have business with you high class dogs! Start taking out your valuables now! Anyone who is not in the dining room, you better get over there now! And don't try anything stupid!"

The door to the dining room slammed against the wall, revealing a small number of men dressed in electric blue and black uniforms, guns pointed everywhere at once.

"We're Arlene's gang!" one of the pirates shouted, raising his gun into the air and firing a shot through the hull. The crowd jumped at the sound, huddling together as he sneered at them. "Take off your jewelry and pull out your purses!"

"Y-You can't do that!" A man in a business suit pushed his chair back with a harsh groan. The second he was on his feet, he began shouting. "You think you can get away with-"

Bang. He hit the floor with a heavy thud, causing the woman and girl next to him to begin screaming.

"Shut up!" the pirate yelled, silencing the woman quickly. Her daughter continued to sob. "He had it coming. Anyone else want to end up like him?" No one moved or spoke for a tense moment. "I didn't think so. Pay up, and no one else has to get hurt."

The people scrambled to pull out their valuables. "And keep your hands visible!" he sneered, motioning quickly for the other two men to leave the room. They did so, and he returned to his vigilance with a smirk.

Sometimes he really loved this job.

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Elsewhere, in one of the numerous passenger rooms, a tall, blonde man was speaking as calmly as possible. His temper was about to flare up at any moment because of this little set back.

"Hold them off at all costs. If they take the bridge, knock three times in rapid succession. I'm going to call for backup."

The other two men nodded and quickly left. No sooner were they gone, gunshots sounded, all of them dangerously close to the area.

"Damn!" The man wiped the sweat and frustration from his brow, before casting a quick glance around the small room. In the far corner sat a young boy, curled into a tight ball on the floor. He looked up from his knees as the man moved to his personal radio, the older man eyeing him coldly for a moment.

"Ventus, sit still and don't make a sound," he warned, as he donned a large pair of headphones and set to work putting together a message.

Seeing that his back was turned, the boy slowly let his eyes drift to a heavy bottle on the floor next to him. It had once been filled with very expensive vodka, but had been emptied over the course of the evening, and rolled onto the floor when the pirates first attacked the ship. It was the only thing available to him, though, and as the gunshots kept getting closer, louder, Ventus knew that he had to do something.

Ever so quietly, the boy carefully grabbed the neck of the bottle and got to his feet.

"Yes, pirates! Do you understand?...Our current position? One moment…." With a heavy sigh, the man began rifling through the papers on the small table, shoving a plate to the floor with a loud shatter of porcelain. Ventus jumped a little at the sound, afraid he'd been discovered, but saw with relief that the man was just dragging out a map from under the clutter. Swallowing nervously, he drew closer, raising the bottle…

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"Do you think Seifer was being a little too harsh in there?"

"Myde, I'm a little bit busy here!" Emphasizing his point, the other pirate fired off another round, laughing a little as he managed to snag one man in the arm.

"I know!" Myde cried, doing his best with his own gun. These guys were pretty good shots, but once their leader made her way over here, Drulo and his cronies would have no chance. "I know, but shooting that guy? He clearly had a family, Hayner!"

"It's a casualty of war," the other man shrugged, ducking back a bit to reload. "Stuff like this happens all the time. Or did you think that being a pirate was gonna be all sunshine and butterflies?"

"Well, no..." The pirate scratched the back of his head, still looking guilty. "But I-"

"Enough chatter!" Both turned their heads to see a young, vicious looking woman with a razor sharp smile and a dozen guns belted to her waist.

"Mom!"

"Call me captain!" Arlene snarled, biting off the pin of a smoke grenade and chucking it down the hall. It exploded in an instant, and the pirates continued to fire until they couldn't hear coughing anymore. "Get moving, you bums! I want that crystal!"

"Right!"

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Ventus reached into the unconscious man's shirt, pulling out a small blue pendant from his inner vest pocket. As he fastened the gem around his neck, he winced to see a bit of blood on the floor behind Drulo. As much as he hated the man, he hadn't meant to really hurt him. But he had to hurry and take his only chance.

Suddenly someone began pounding loudly on the door. The boy nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Drulo! Open up, you son of a bitch!"

The blonde backed up slowly, looking around for some way to escape. The only available option now was the window, so he forced it open with some difficultly, making a space large enough that he could fit through. Looking out into the night sky, he felt an overwhleming flutter of fear, but was quickly reminded that he didn't have any other choice. The pounding grew louder. Someone was trying to break the door down.

Just as he slipped outside, desperately clutching to the edge of the ship, the door slammed to the ground. Then it became difficult to hear, as the whipping, chilling winds battered his face and body. Ventus shivered and held on for dear life, trying his best not to look down.

"Where is he?" Arlene shrieked. The next thing he knew, she and another pirate were sticking their heads out the window.

"There he is!"

The boy shook his head desperately. He inched out of their reach as best he could, feeling cold tears in his eyes as the wind kept hitting him. His fingers and toes were already turning blue in the freezing temperatures.

"Don't just stand there, dimwits! Grab him!"

"Ventus!"

The boy pulled himself up to another window, using his arms as a support. He couldn't keep this up for long. He had to make it to the lower hanger. No one would be guarding the lifeboats...

The couple inside starred at him in disbelief. The woman screamed as her door burst open, and a blonde pirate was rushing through.

"Come here, you little brat!"

"No!"

Terrified, the boy's arms slipped, his fingers grasping desperately for purchase but finding none. The next thing he knew, he was falling into a cold, windy abyss of dark clouds, screaming...


	2. Chapter 2

I just realized how hard it's going to get people to read and review this. Dang it, people. Squint and pretend it's Axel and Roxas! I just wanted to try something different and see how this pairing felt in a sort of test run. Let me know. Please review and give this story a little love.

* * *

Even at one in the morning, the dingy pub at the end of the street was bustling with activity. It was mostly crowded with heavily-built men, riddled with grey hairs, holding rusty mugs with large, calloused hands. They were strong but haggard; even the young men had a look of age to them. Life in the mountains had a tendency to harden both a man's flesh and his spirit; even the women had to be strong and hearty.

One of the few exception to this rule wandered through the crowd up to the bar, casually leaning an elbow on the smooth surface, a happy grin on his face.

The woman behind the counter turned to him with a smile.

"Lea, you're here late tonight."

He tipped his cap to her, revealing a few more strands of short, wild red hair.

"Yes, m'am. Boss wanted me to run and grab him some dinner."

"Of course." She looked at him fondly, like he was her own son. "Do you want anything for yourself, honey?"

The boy waved her off politely. "Nah, I'm fine. I've got stuff I'm going to make at home."

They chatted for a bit, about nothing in particular, until a younger girl brought out the steaming bag of food. Lea took it gratefully, tipped his cap to both ladies, and slid out the door.

There were only scattered clouds that night, but it was very cold and wet. A fresh spring dew was settling over the grass and trees already; the rest of the town was in bed, save for a few of the men down at the mines. Lea could smell the chimney smoke from at least a dozen wood fires, and he shivered, pulling his oversized coat more tightly around him. The sooner he got this food to Aeleus, the sooner he could go home and snuggle into his own bed. He sighed a little, wishing he had a nice woolen blanket with him now.

This wasn't the first time he'd pulled a late night. Aeleus didn't work that way often; he had a wife to get home to, and a cute little girl who was barely five. But the day before, one of the boilers started acting up, and that could be a recipe for disaster. It needed to get fixed tonight, and Lea only had to be there to work the lift for the others while the man was busy. It was about time for them to finish up; probably less than an hour...

Picking up his pace, the boy held his cap down with one hand and began to sprint. The hill just before the mine was always a killer, but tonight he'd make it up in good time.

He paused, however, when he saw a small light flickering in the sky.

"Huh?" He slowly came to a halt and squinted. "What could that be?"

The light held a soft, bluish hue. As the glow grew brighter and larger, the boy realized that it was moving towards the earth.

"Is that what I think it is?" He'd never seen a falling star before, but he'd read about them. Lea's boyish grin grew, excited at the thought of seeing something so rare. "This I've got to see!"

He noticed it appeared to be falling just over the mine. Would it land close by? If so, he could see it and be back before Aeleus even had time to worry. With these ideas in his head, the boy took off sprinting again, one hand carefully trying to keep the bag steady, his eyes trained on the speck of light.

In his excitement, the devil's hill almost seemed like nothing at all. He was panting by the time he reached the top, leaning on his knees for support, when he saw clearly what the light was.

"Wait...is that a _person_?" Suddenly he felt horrified and confused. Was that...a body? A _glowing_ body?

Oh God, was that person dead? Or...could it be...?

He followed the falling light all the way up to a platform on the outer rim leading down into the mine. The canyon had a sort of circular shape to it, and several scaffolds were built to help the miners get down to the mines safely. Lea ran down the platforms and steps as fast as he could, eyes wide as he noticed the body wasn't falling. It was floating.

He reached the bottom after some time, winded and achy, but just in time. He stepped out into the middle of the canyon floor, put down the bag, and instinctively raised his arms. The glowing person floated slowly, ever so gently into his arms, and he saw, to even more surprise, that it was a boy his age. As he slowly got a grip on him, Lea saw that he was a pale blonde, dressed only in a white dressing gown. The blue light came from a glistening gem around the boy's neck, floating just an inch above his chest.

Up close, in the soft but brilliant light, he looked positively ethereal.

"Woah..." Lea had no idea what this meant, as he watched the boy hovering in his arms. Slowly the pendant began to sink, its light fading away in small doses until it was just gone. It looked like any other stone.

Suddenly, the full weight of the boy landed in his arms, and Lea yelped as he almost smacked them both into the ground. His arms strained to hold the boy up; he was so much heavier, now that he wasn't floating. Struggling with it for a moment, breathing deeply, Lea managed to get one hand under his knees, the other supporting his back. The blonde's head lulled to the side until it rested gently against his chest. With the strain a bit more balanced, Lea carried him over toward the mine and set him gently against the rock wall, frowning.

That was certainly amazing, whatever it was, but what was he supposed to do with this kid now? Upon a quick inspection, Lea was relieved, at least, to see that he was alive. But he was unconscious and stubbornly refusing to wake up.

With a sigh, the redhead removed his coat and draped it over the beautiful boy. Figuring this out would have to wait until later.

"Maybe Boss will know what to do. You wait here, okay?" He went back to grab the bag of food, only pausing to look at the blonde once more before he went in.

"Lea! There you are! Take over for me, I'm starving!" A tall, brawny man with short red hair snatched the food away, before giving the boy a quick shove towards the lift with his other hand. Lea stopped, waving his arms frantically as he spoke.

"Boss, I'm sorry I'm late, but you'll never believe what I saw!"

"Tell me later," the man growled, biting into his sandwich viciously. "Mmmmm, God, that's good! Did you tip Mary?"

"Yes, but listen!" Lea urged, huffing as he begrudgingly settled into the chair of the lift and turned on the machine. "I was running back here, when this weird boy fell out of the sky!"

"What? That's a crock of shit, Lea! Why the hell would you tell a tale like that?"

"I'm not making this up, I swear! He was glowing and everything!"

The older man snorted, wiping his mouth with his fist. "Cut the theatrics, boy, and start the damn lift." Just as he said that, the bell sounded. "That's them now. Go on, hop to it. Then you can go home."

"But it's true, Sir! I-"

"Enough! Clearly I've been working you too hard. Pull them up so you can go already."

Heaving a defeated sigh, the boy pulled the lever and watched the rope and pulley spring into action. Sure, the story sounded crazy, but he wasn't making it up! He would never do that!

"Watch it, boy! They're coming in too fast!"

Lea started from his thoughts, quickly pulling the lever to stop. It took some arm power, but he managed to stop the lift in time, and up came a few men pushing a cart full of stones. Aeleus put down his mug and walked over to hear the news. As he did, he gave the boy a passing smack upside the head.

"Hey!" He hated it when the man treated him like a dumb kid, but he leaned around to see what the miners had brought up. The conversation was strained and tired.

"So what's it look like tonight, gentlemen?"

An older, white haired man shook his head, looking grim. "No silver, not even any traces of tin. I'm beginning to wonder if we're wasting time."

"Maybe we'll try the mines just south of here," someone else offered. "Leon seems to think they'll yield better results."

Another man scoffed. "Not likely. They've all been dry for weeks."

"What do you propose we do?"

The first man coughed, wiping the dust and sweat from his brow. "Take up farming." The others let loose a bark of laughter. "I'm serious. It'd be easier on these old bones. At least then I could retire in some nice open air."

"Dream on, old timer. Well, I guess that's all we can do for tonight."

They exchanged short good byes, the few who weren't pushing the cart closing up the mine for the night. Aeleus made some last minute adjustments to the boiler before he turned off all the lamps.

"Night, Lea. Get some rest, you hear?"

Lea hesitated. "Uh...but I..." But no one was listening anymore. They headed for the other exit, filing out one by one. And the boy watched them go, sighing. "Good night, then."

He found the strange boy still asleep where he'd left him, not having moved an inch from that spot. A quick check showed that he was still alive, but Lea noticed that he looked very cold. Lea sighed again.

"Come on. Let's get home." Not wasting any time, Lea positioned the boy on his back so that he would stay on, pulling the coat around them both. With two fourteen year olds in it at once, it fit like a proper coat would, and the redhead couldn't help but smile at the extra warmth he felt from the other's body. Looking at where the blonde's face rested on his shoulder, Lea decided that he thought he looked cute. The boy had a very feminine look to him; thin, kind of delicate. He was still pretty obviously a boy, but with the night dress he could be androgynous if Lea squinted a little.

Lea let his mind wander aimlessly as he walked home, wondering about the person he had found. He hoped he would have answers to all his questions in the morning.

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Ventus awoke to the soft chirping of birds and bright rays of sun streaming through an open window. At first he was afraid, then confused. The night before was slow in coming back to him, and despite the nice, relatively large room, with a comfy bed, bookshelves, and pictures, he couldn't feel at ease until he knew what was going on.

Closing the door behind him softly, the blonde crept into a large room with a kitchen, a side fireplace, and a ladder leading up to the roof. Curious, Ven looked up to see that the roof hatch was open, and he could hear someone up there talking.

"Hello?" No one else was in the room, and the person above didn't answer him. He felt a bit better, though, as he considered the situation. Drulo wasn't there, and the fact that he didn't have someone standing guard at the door meant that he wasn't with the pirates either. The little house, though not the cleanest or richest, was very charming, actually. There was tea on the stove, and on the counter by it a skillet and what looked like the ingredients for an omelette. Ven felt himself beginning to smile a little. It reminded him of home.

Carefully, the boy began climbing the ladder. As he reached the top and pulled himself out, he was met with a beautiful sight.

The valley was lit up with early morning light. The dew made everything seem shiny and new, and the earth and sky almost blended together perfectly on the horizon. The land here was stunning, and as he looked, Ven saw a little town in the distance, nestled into the side of the mountain. Where was he?

A flutter of wings drew his attention suddenly, and he turned to see a flock of birds flying right at him.

"Wah!" He brought his arms up to cover his face, astonished when they flew right past him. He watched them fly around with an awed look, as the sunlight glistened off their wings and practically painted them into the sky.

"Hey!"

Startled, the blonde looked up to see an extended part of the roof, where a boy with wild red hair was feeding one of the birds from his hand.

"Good morning!" the boy shouted, carefully trying to maneuver over to him as more birds landed on his arms. "Hey, guys! Behave! I have a guest, you know!"

Ven laughed as he saw the birds scrambling for the food in his hand. His smile grew as the other boy stopped in front of him, looking at him with subdued curiosity.

"How are you feeling? Sleep alright last night?" He nodded, feeling a light blush fill his face.

"I'm fine, thank you. I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble," he said shyly, looking away.

"Not at all, kid! It was kinda nice to have some company...I mean, other than these guys." He lifted his elbows, proudly displaying a flock of birds on each arm. Ven laughed, watching as the redhead reached into a pouch on his belt. "Here." The blonde blinked as the other boy took his hand and filled it with bread crumbs and seeds. "You can feed them if you want."

"Oh no, I- ah!" Instantly he was swarmed by pigeons. The boy tried to not to fall over under the force of the attack, and all the while little beaks, feathers, and feet tickled him. A bird even tried to land in his hair. "N-No! Not there-haha! H-Hey!"

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Lea watched the boy laughing and smiling, feeling his own mood lifted. He hadn't gotten as much sleep; the couch was terrible compared to the bed, but both were only so big. Now it was nice to have company that was actually awake, and this kid seemed very nice. Those wide, blue eyes were pretty cute too. He couldn't think of a shade that would suit him better.

"Woah!" He reached out and snagged the blonde's sleeve, keeping him from slipping and falling. "Careful there." The other boy blushed, looking embarassed.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I was the one who dumped these guys on you." At least he didn't have any nectar on him. Lea could remember almost getting shoved off the roof once when he brought out that stuff. His birds had ruthless appetites. "Go on, all of you! Shoo! Breakfast is officially over!"

Sated, they flew off in formation, and the redhead saw his guest watching them, a slight longing look in his eyes.

"I'm glad you can laugh and talk like a human." That earned him a strange look. He shrugged it off, scratching the back of his head. "You fell from the sky. I thought, you know, you might be an angel or something."

The blonde blushed again, crossing his arms. "An angel? That's a little corny, don't you think?"

"Maybe. What else would I think? Most humans don't survive falls like that." The other boy looked thoughtful for a moment. "Oh. I'm Lea by the way. What's your name?"

"Ventus, but I prefer Ven." The blonde gave a soft smile. "Thank you for helping me."

"Hey, it's no problem, Ven. But I have to know, how the heck could you float like that? I've never seen anything so amazing in my life!"

Ven looked confused, even a little afraid. Lea wondered if he said something wrong, when the blonde finally managed to speak again. "I don't really know. I remember...I was on an airship. But then..."

"You don't remember anything else?" Ven shook his head. "Oh well. The important thing is you're alive. To be honest, when I first saw you, I thought you were a falling star."

A snort. "Okay. _That _is corny if I've ever heard it."

"It's true! You were just this speck in the sky, glowing with this eerie blue light, like...like the same shade as that necklace your wearing." He pointed to the hidden chain around his neck.

Ven looked startled for a moment, before pulling out the pendant and gaping at it. Lea frowned. Did he think he would try to take it or something? He was poor, but he wasn't that desperate.

The boy looked up, noticing his gaze and blushing yet again. "Sorry. This pendant has been in my family for ages. I thought for sure I would have lost it in the fall."

"Oh." The reality was quite the opposite. "Do you...mind if I take a closer look?" the redhead asked gently. He held out his hand, seeing a gleam of distrust in Ven's eye for a moment. "I promise I won't take it or anything. I just want to see."

Ven looked to be debating with himself for a moment, but then he gave an uncertain smile and unclasped the chain around his neck. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. It's just...this is very precious to me. I'm a little...well, paranoid, to tell you the truth. I keep thinking I'm going to lose it."

Lea smiled, patting his shoulder. "It's alright. I can understand, I guess. Just stop saying sorry so much."

"Uh...okay. Sor- I mean, okay."

The blonde placed the gem carefully in his hand, and Lea held it up to the sunlight. The stone itself was translucent; the sun shone through it and left these little dots of blue here and there on his palm. On one side there was an odd insignia etched in. It looked like a huge golden bird trying to swallow the sun.

"Huh. Interesting. And it doesn't have any special powers as far as you know?"

Ven shook his head again. "I can't say for sure, but I've never seen it do anything. It's just a treasure that was passed down to me from my brother."

"Cool." A shrill whistle alerted them both to the time. "Oh! Sounds like the tea is ready! Do you like tea? Eggs? Toast?" The boy nodded to all three, looking a little exasperated. Lea handed the heirloom back to him, smiling brightly. "Great. Let me go down first. While I get stuff ready, you can go wash up."


	3. Chapter 3

To my two reviewers so far, than you so much! :) It's nice to have some support here. I guess I just thought, "Hey, Ven and Lea are both kids. They'd work here." Axel's older and less optimistic, and Roxas...well...he goes emo at times. He doesn't have as much child-like optimism and whimsey. Yes, I said whimsey. Lol That's if we're going more in character. My stories rarely have in character-ness, but I'll try XD Thanks again, keep reading. To new people, please like and review. Might get another chapter out in a day or so, maybe more. Finals be happinen, yo. Yoyoyoyoyoyoyo

I like writing interaction scenes for these two. I'm trying to get Ven to be like Sheeta, but still be a boy kinda. KINDA is the word, though it's not technically A word. Lol. Technicality. He's the girl in the relationship, but he's still a dude. It's hard to bridge that gap smoothly and not make him a wobbie.

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Lea took the kettle off the stove, calling over his shoulder, "The towel on the rack is clean. Oh, and you're welcome to find some clothes. They're in the dresser." He chuckled at himself. Obviously. That last bit seemed pointless, but oh well...

"Thank you, Lea!"

With a smile, the redhead donned his old green and yellow stripped apron, poured the tea, and set to work making the rest of the breakfast. As he added the milk and cheese and began beating the egg mixture, the redhead thought about his guest some more. Ven seemed like a pretty okay kid. Not an angel, although he could certainly pass, if he had some wings and a halo.

Was he lying about the necklace? It didn't seem likely. The kid was a little shy, but he didn't seem like a liar. Where did he come from? How'd he fall off an airship? Usually passenger ships had precautions for that, not that Lea had been on many. He'd seen a few schematics though.

Lea paused, his mind still wandering as he poured the eggs onto the skillet. He'd left the bird hatch open. It was fine for now; they needed their exercise, and it was a beautiful day out. But this kid was distracting him. All he could think about was how he'd floated down from the sky. It was insane.

"Focus, dang you!" He smacked his forehead lightly, realizing only too late- "Ow!"

"Lea? Are you alright? What happened?" The redhead turned to see the boy coming down the hall, dressed in a dusty brown shirt and grey pants, both of which seemed big on him. As soon as those blue eyes drifted upward, Ven started with a laugh. "Oh wow. What did you do?"

"I had a brain dead moment, okay?" Lea grimaced as the blonde broke into uproarious laughter, as the older boy carefully rubbed at the spatula shaped red mark on his forehead. It was fading already, but it made him feel like a total idiot. The boy hated that. "Oh what, like you never have them?"

"I-I do, but wow! Hah! I can't believe you did that!" The boy wiped the tears from his eyes, having the decency to look embarassed for himself. "Hoooo...Sorry, Lea. It just...wow...I can't say I've ever been that funny when I mess up."

"Go ahead!" he cried dramatically. "Laugh! Get it all out! Last thing I want is you bringing this up later!"

"I-Is there anything I can help with?" Lea pouted. The boy was clearly trying to distract him again, but he wasn't going to fall for it. "Please...let me help. I didn't mean anything by it. Really." Next thing he knew, a pair of huge doe eyes was gleaming at him.

Okay. Take back the thing he said about being an angel. This kid was evil. E.V.I.L. Evil.

"Alright already! The plates are in the cupboard over there; silverware in the drawer below it. You wanna go set the table?" Said evil boy gave him a brilliant smile.

"Sure!" He hurried to his task, beginning to hum a little as he went. Lea was almost taken aback by how cheery and pleasant he was, even as he stood up on his toes and tried to reach the shelf. Lea had to remind himself constantly that the kid was _not _cute. Not at all.

"Silverware is in what drawer again?...Lea?"

The redhead blinked, and felt tempted to slap himself again. Why was he spacing so much today? He'd seen cute boys...err, girls, before...

"Oh, right! Uh...No, not the right drawer sorry! Left!"

Ven chuckled, brushing a bit of blonde hair off his neck. "Make up your mind, crazy!"

"Sorry! I wasn't paying attention!" He spun back to his word station, cursing internally as he noticed he had burnt the omelette a little.

"Now look who's saying sorry," the other boy teased, carrying the necessary stuff to the table in the adjacent room. The redhead scowled a little, but there was no malice behind it. He was the one being a ditz. Cutting the omelette in half, Lea decided he'd give Ven the part that wasn't burnt. Crispy didn't bother him too much, and besides, eggs were kind of expensive right now.

Wait...

"Damn it! Ven bring the plates back!"

This was absolutely mortifying.

When no response came, he raised an eyebrow. "Not funny, Ven. Come on."

Still nothing. With a sigh, he held the skillet out in front of him and went down the hall. He found the blonde standing just beyond the table, fixated on something on the wall. "Now look who's spacey. I've been calling you, silly."

The boy turned with a short hum, looking surprised. "Sorry. I saw this sketch on the wall. What is Laputa?"

Eyes widening, Lea's face grew into a grin as he scooped the eggs onto the plates.

"What's Laputa? Are you kidding me?" Blue eyes blinked at him, uncomprehending. "Oh man. It's only the coolest place ever!"

"Have you been there?"

Lea scratched his neck, smiling a bit more sheepishly. "Well...no...but I know it's a real place. My dad saw it and took that picture there. Hold on, I'll tell you all about it if you want." He put everything in the kitchen away and came back, finding his guest settled on the couch with a rather large slice of toast in his mouth.

"Mmmm, Lea, this is good! How do you do it?" The redhead couldn't help but laugh as he sat down beside him.

"It's just toast, Ven. It's not like I made Paella. Thanks though." He sipped his tea, smiling a little wider as the blonde wolfed down his food. Usually it put him off when people did that, but everything Ven did seemed to be tainted with cute. "So, you want to hear more about Laputa?"

"Sure!" The boy downed his tea in a second, letting out a small belch when he finished. "Sorry."Lea shook his head.

"Weirdo. But yeah, my dad was piloting this tiny ship with my uncle when they came across a huge storm. They swore it was a huge hurricane. The ship was almost ripped to peaces, but then the wind was blowing in two directions at once, and they flew into the center of the clouds. That's when they saw it."

"Wow." Ven seemed interested, but at the same time uncertain. He hesitated a moment before asking, "So...it's really a floating island?"

"Not just that. It's an ancient city that no one has seen for hundreds of years!" Lea beamed at him, taking a big, vicious bite of his omelette. "Dad couldn't land the ship, but he managed to get one picture of it before it disappeared into the clouds again. After that, he became obsessed with it. He made all these little notes and sketches, speculating what the people might have looked like."

"That's unbelievable," The blonde whispered, as his expression became thoughtful and distant. He didn't see Lea frowning until he looked back up, also wearing a sad, pensive look. "What's wrong?"

The redhead sighed. Ven didn't mean anything by it.

"It's just...when Dad came back, he wouldn't stop talking about it. He and my uncle both. But no body believed them." Lea clenched his fists, infuriated by the thought all over again. "They called him a liar. It was their fault he died. He worked so hard to follow his dream, but they acted like he was nothing!"

"Lea...I'm sorry." The redhead felt a hand on his arm, and he slowly relaxed.

"No...it's not your fault. It's just...kind of a tender subject. You get that, right?"

The blonde nodded, still looking sad. "Yes." His other hand drifted up to his collar, clasping the little blue gem tightly in his hand. He looked comfortingly at Lea, but said no more.

Neither of them moved for a moment; they just looked at each other silently. Finally, Lea decided he couldn't take it anymore. He didn't want his feelings to seem oppressive, and annoy his new friend.

Lea smiled naturally again, ruffling Ven's hair.

"Hey!"

"Settle down, kid. Eat the rest of your food." He chuckled when the younger boy pouted.

"You're not my mother..."

"Yeah, and you're not my guardian angel. You're just some brat the wanted to practice diving off the deck of an airship."

Ven gave him a weird look before casually sipping his tea. He set the cup down slowly and deadpanned, "Weird."

"I know you are, blondie. But someday I'm going to make something of myself," he said more confidently, standing up slowly. "I swear. I am gonna prove that Laputa is real and clear my Dad's good name. I'll build my own ship if I have to."

Ven paused, looked unsure again. "Lea...uh...can I stay here and help you?"

The older boy blinked. Ven...stay with him? That might work, although he only had enough money to feed himself really. They'd have to work something out. The blonde didn't look like mine material.

The redhead grinned widely, clasping his hand and pulling him to his feet. He gave the boy a tight hug, squeezing him painfully against his side. "Sure you can, kid! The more the merrier! We'll go see Laputa together! Lea and Ven...I think I can get used to that!"

Ven shrugged his arm off, scowling. "Fine, but cut with the 'kid' stuff. I have a name, you know. Or would you prefer I start calling you 'red' all the time?"

"Point taken. Would you wash the dishes, _Ven_?" He made sure to emphasis the word, laughing when he saw the slightest upward twitch of those lips. "Would you mind, since I made breakfast?"

"Not at all, _Lea_."

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Ven smiled a little to himself as he set one dish on the drying rack, beginning to dry off the other. He couldn't believe he had a home again.

It made him sad too. He missed the farm so much; all those times he and Terra would play. His older brother liked to play rough sometimes, but he was kind and caring. He doted on Ven too much, Granny would always say, but then she would go and do the same thing! He knew that they spoiled him so much, but he'd loved it...

And he'd miss all the animals they used to take care of. They were his grandmother's pride and joy before she took ill; well, them, and her grandsons of course. Life in the mountains was hard, and the farm sometimes made it harder, but it was all he'd ever known, and he loved it...

But why...Why did Drulo have to take it all away? What had he done to deserve that?

Clenching his fist in the towel, Ven forced back angry tears and kept drying. He couldn't think of that now. He may not have wanted this, but that was just a fact of life now. He was lucky to have escaped and survived, and luckier still that he found such a good friend. Ven didn't have to know him long to see that he was a good boy doing his best to get by.

He could really like living here, he decided. And maybe he could learn more about Laputa, though he doubted it somewhat. Ven admired his friend's passion, but where were the two of them going to find a ship? It'd take them forever to build one, and if what Lea said was true, no captain would be crazy enough to fly through deadly winds to get them there.

Oh well. He would probably never know...

The least he could do was help out here. He would do his best, and try not to burden Lea.

He nodded to himself, smiling softly as he slipped the second plate onto the rack. He had lied before, about how much he remembered, but there was no reason to worry Lea. The pirates and Drulo would probably assume that he'd died. They'd never come looking for a corpse in the middle of no-

Ven gasped, the cup he was drying slipped from his hands and shattered on the floor. From the kitchen window, he could see them. Coming over the hill, headed right to this house.

_'No...they can't be here! Why are they here?'_

Lea rushed in, eyes shifting quickly from the broken shards to the blonde. "What happened?! Are you alright?" He reached Ven in a second, lifting his hands and scanning them for cuts or shards. Finding nothing, he met the younger boy's eyes, his own widening when he saw Ven's face. He looked pale and frightened.

"What's wrong? You're shaking..."

"They found me...H-Here," he said quietly, like he was in denial. The redhead pulled him close, trying to soothe the fears he couldn't yet understand.

"What are you talking about? Ven, who's here?"

The younger boy swallowed, willing himself to relax. Lea's scent was...comforting somehow. He smelt a bit like rust and earth, and he felt so warm and caring.

"The pirates who attacked the airship, Lea. I don't know how, but they found me here. Wh-What do I do?" He didn't want to go with them. They were merciless and cruel. The boy felt guilty about not mentioning anything, but if the redhead was at all curious or upset, he didn't look it. He just held Ven tighter and looked out the window, thinking.

Then he grabbed Ven's hand again, pulling him down the hall.

"Come with me."

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"This seems like a stretch, don't you think?"

Seifer growled at him. "She wants us to check everywhere. We can't come home until we've got that brat with us."

"It's your fault, you know," Hayner said simply, as they slowly approached the little house on the outskirts. It had a nice view overlooking the valley. "If you had just grabbed him, instead of standing there like a dumbass, we wouldn't be out here."

Myde shied away from his oldest brother, seeing agreement in his murderous scowl. Stupid Hayner, riling Seifer up when he was already so tense.

"I wasn't! I tried to grab him, but this guy bumped me in the hall!"

"You should have shot him," the oldest blonde sneered, tugging at his collar slightly. The sun was only so high, and already the heat was coming down. No body liked this little piece of shit mountain town, except Myde, who was clearly excited. Seifer vowed to beat him up later, as he grimaced at the bright light.

"Point is, this sucks. Let's just get this over with, guys. Dumbass, you check around the back and don't get caught. Seifer and I will take the front door." They all nodded and approached the house.

Just as Hayner was about to knock on the door, it swung open. He hissed, jumping back just in time to avoid a nice smash to the nose, as two blurs sped past.

"Hey! HEY!" he shouted after them, motioning for Seifer to grab one. "Hold on a second!"

Seifer reached for the smaller boy, only to have the slightly taller one step in front of him. Both boys were dressed in ratty clothes and caps, the smaller one wearing his so far down it covered his hair and most of his eyes. He stood slightly hunched by the taller boy, practically hiding behind him as he spoke with a warm smile.

"What can I do for you, neighbor? It's gotta be quick, though. My brother and I are actually running kind of late." To emphasis, he began to jog a little in place. The other boy stood rigid, not moving an inch.

Hayner snorted. "Just got a question for you. Have you seen a boy around here? Blonde hair, blue eyes, white shirt?"

The redhead paused, holding his chin with a thoughtfully look. "Hmmm. I've seen a lot of boys like the one you're describing. This town's full of em. Anything more specific than that?"

Seifer tsked, glaring down at them impatiently. "Useless...Scram, brats. We've got shit to do."

"Okay! Sorry we can't be more help!" With a bright smile, the boy tipped his cap, his companion following with a stilted, slower motion. Just as they took off running, Myde came rushing around from the back of the house.

"You guys! Hey, you guys!"

"We're right here, dipshit! What is it?" The middle blonde panted for a moment, unrolling a bundle of cloth in his arms and holding it up for them to see. Hayner blinked as his brother continued.

"I found this inside! He must be running around naked!"

"Myde, you idiot! HE CHANGED!" Seifer snapped. He was satisfied to see the blonde jump slightly, though still wearing that off-pissing, stupid-as-hell face of his. "He just ran off with that other kid!"

"Great!" the boy beamed at them, ignoring the exasperated look from the youngest and the murderous one from the elder. "Let's go catch him! Mom's gonna be so happy!"


	4. Chapter 4

6 Reviews now! Considering how many LeaxVentus stories there are right now, I feel like that's pretty impressive. Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing, I'm having much more fun with this story.

If I'm like anyone, it would probably be a mix of Ven and Myde. The way I said that, it kinda sounds like a drink combo. Ven and mead. lol. But it's true. I've always liked Demyx because he's the spazz, least threatening Org member ever. Next to brain dead Xion and Roxy, of course. Oh, and maybe Marly. Okay, moving on now! :)

Keep up the reading and reviewing! I'll supply the spazzing and the material!

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Ven was struggling to keep up on his own. Soon Lea had to grab his hand and pull him along beside him. The pirates would be after them any minute now; they couldn't afford to stop running until they were safely in town.

Unfortunately the pace was slowing to a drag.

"Lea, I'm tired! Can we slow down a little? Please?"

"You saw them, right? Those guys had guns! We have to keep running, Ven, now come on!"

"I'm trying!" Lea felt bad for harsh about it, but they were almost to the town. It was just over the next hill, if they could only get there-

"Hey, you kids! Stop!"

Looking over his shoulder, the boy's eyes widened. The pirates weren't running after them, but one was holding a gun aimed at them, one of the others yelling something at him. Before they had time to wonder, a shot ran out, barely missing Ven's foot. He yelped and tripped, face smacking the dirt hard before the redhead could catch him. Lea stared at their attackers in disbelief as he pulled the boy to his feet.

"What the hell are they doing?"

"What the hell are you doing?" Myde shouted, tugging the arm that held the pistol away from the boys. "We're supposed to catch him, not kill him!"

Seifer sneered, shoving him off with ease. "We only need the brat, not his sniveling friend. Shoot the other one then grab him. Easy as pie."

"You're aim sucks! What if you'd hit him?"

"You're the one throwing off my aim! If we shoot him, we just take the crystal!"

Hayner shook his head. "Seifer, put the damn gun away. Myde, stop being a dumbass. Let's just catch them, alright?" He didn't want to admit he had reservations about shooting them also. The oldest blonde scoffed, but slipped the pistol back into its holster.

"Fine."

The middle brother looked thoughtful. "We'd catch them faster if we had the car."

"Arlene's got the car, you idiot! We've just got to catch up to them and grab them! Now get the lead out!" Hayner snapped, as he and Seifer took off after them. Myde gave an indignant scoff, before he followed suit.

"Wait for me! Guys!"

Up ahead, the boys had reached the top of the hill. The run down into town was much easier, though the steepness of the path was a little difficult. They had to go slower, Ven almost fell at least twice, not being used to the rough, sharp decline of it.

"We're almost to my boss's house!" Lea told him. "He can hide us until we figure something out!"

The houses passed, and people all over were staring at them, but they were almost there. Too bad the pirates were just behind them.

"Stop, you damn brats! I will shoot!"

The townsfolk grew alarmed, muttering to the others as they passed. Whoever these men were, they were threatening the safety of those in town. They meant to harm the children. And as it was a hardened little mountain town, the people were sure as hell not going to take this lying down.

Lea felt relieved at the sight of his boss, standing just outside his house up the street. His smile faded, though, when he saw two men speaking to him, dressed in the same colors as the pirates. They looked agitated.

"Boss!"

Aeleus looked up, just as the other pirates saw them.

"There he is! Grab him!"

Ven stopped running, almost jerking Lea back with him. He looked around desperately for somewhere else they could run, just as the men darted forward. They were quickly yanked back, though, by a very annoyed giant of a man.

"Hold on there, fellas. I'm gonna have to ask what you want with those boys."

"Boss!" Lea tugged his friend forward. They stopped just beside the man, as he hurled the two dumbfounded pirates up the street and into the road, faces first. "Boss, this is the boy I was talking about! Those guys are pirates, they're after him!"

Aeleus regarded the blonde sternly for a moment, making him shrink behind the other boy nervously. Then, surprisingly, he gave them a warm smile. Warmer than anything Lea has ever seen from him.

"Go inside, boys. I'll handle this."

"Uh, right! Come on, Ven." With a little effort, the redhead got them inside, just in time to see a gang of pirates surround the street.

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A dark-haired woman looked up from her straightening, surprised at the commotion. A large crowd of people was gathered outside the house, and it would soon be turning into a brawl, she was sure. It was a good thing Kairi was in the house, or she would have been worried.

Then, the front door opened and two boys shuffled in, one of whom she recognized instantly.

"Lea, I thought this was your day off...who's this?" She tilted her head curiously as the blonde rubbed his eyes, looking distressed. Lea put a gentle hand on his shoulder and led him over to her.

"Hey Tifa. Sorry about the intrusion. Uh, yeah, this is Ven. I'd have stayed home today, but we're actually being chased by pirates." He tried to laugh a little at the end, but the blonde's expression didn't shift.

Sensing the mood, the woman came over to them. They stopped as she smiled and knelt down to Ven's level.

"Hey there. The name's Tifa. Nice to meet you, Ven...Come on now, sweetie, it's alright. You look like you need a good cry." She pulled him into a gentle hug, not surprised as he started to sob.

It wasn't surprising, even though she didn't know anything about the situation. It was a bit harder for boys to be emotional, because only girls could cry. Boys had to be strong and keep everything inside. Be manly. Fortunately, there was no one here who he needed to hide for.

"Shhhhh. It's alright. You're fine..."

Lea watched his friend worriedly, then looked away as Tifa gave him a look. Something was going on here, something bigger than him and probably much bigger than Ven. And the blonde clearly wasn't telling the whole story.

"Why? Why can't they l-leave me alone?" Ven whispered, as Tifa began rubbing his back comfortingly. "I didn't do anything."

Lea closed the space between them as Tifa let go. He put his arms around the smaller boy and sighed, feeling him shaking. "Ven, please tell me the truth. Who are these guys? Why are they after you?"

"I-I don't know, I promise!"

"Alright now. That's enough." Tifa gave the redhead a stern look as she stood, brushing off her skirt. "It doesn't matter right now. What matters is that you two stay safe. I doubt my husband can hold them off for long."

The redhead looked out the window. "It looks like the whole town is out there. I hope no one gets hurt."

"They can take care of themselves. You should know that by now, young man," Tifa quipped, drawing a small smile from him. "You two should slip out the back. I'll cover you."

Ven looking at her doubtfully. "But you-"

"I'll be fine, sweetie. I'm a lot tougher than I look." And it was true. Though she was smaller than most women here, Tifa was proud of her muscles. She flexed them, making both boys laugh, as Ven wiped his eyes.

"I'm sorry. It's just been awful..." He looked at Lea sadly. "They've been following me for some time now. But I wasn't lying just now, I swear. I have no idea what they want, but I don't want to stick around and find out. They've been chasing me on and off for the last few days, and they're pretty cutthroat."

Lea shrugged. "It's okay, Ven. I'm sorry for upsetting you." He chuckled a little as the other boy blushed, ducking his head shamefully. "It's no big deal, but Boss Lady's right. We should go now."

"Okay." Tifa went to the kitchen, coming back with a small knapsack of food and water for each of them. Just as they were about to leave, someone began pounding on the front door.

"Will Kairi be alright, Tifa?"

She smiled at Lea, resting her hands on her hips. "Don't worry about it, just get lost before they catch on."

"Yes ma'am!"

The back door slipped shut with a creak. Turning away, Tifa sighed as she tied back her skirt, and then opened a drawer on the table. There she had left her old gloves, the ones she had worn back in the day, traveling around with Cloud and the others. Funny, she thought as she slipped each one on, clenching her fists absently. Ventus looked a lot like Cloud when he was a boy...

Shaking her head, she ignored the pounding on the door and went to check her daughter's room. She had to be prepared for anything.

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Arlene scowled from the cliff top, adjusting her spyglass to focus in on the crowd of people.

"Those little idiots. Leave it to them to start a riot." Just as she was about to put it away, the glass showed a flash of movement just out of the corner of her eye. "Wait..." She followed it, adjusting the focus, until she saw that it was two figures, running in the opposite direction. "Hmmph, the brat's made a friend, I see."

"Boss, what's the order?" the young man in the driver's seat asked simply, tossing his cigarette out the side window. It was an open-topped little car, a rarity in and of itself. No one saw automobiles anymore in this day and age.

"We'll stop in town and pick up the idiots first. Hmmm... Looks like those boys are headed for the railroad tracks. I see a short cut we can take." Snapping the little device shut, the woman settled back into her seat. "Let's go."

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Lea looked relieved when they came across the old train tracks. They ran deeper into the valley, across one of the older mines before heading to the next town. If the boys were lucky, they could just follow the tracks until they reached the next town. But it looked as though their luck was getting better, because a shrill whistled sounded behind them. Coming around the corner was a little old engine, connected to just one cart of coal. The redhead recognized the driver immediately.

"Hey, it's Pence! This is great!" He called to the engineer, waving frantically until the man started to slow.

A chubby, middle-aged man stopped beside them, smiling.

"Hey there, Lea! This a friend of yours?" The redhead nodded.

"No time to explain, Pence, but long story short is we've got pirates chasing us. Can you take us up the tracks to Redrock?"

The man blinked. "Pirates? No fooling? That sounds exciting!" He smiled brightly, motioning them closer. "Sure, boys. Hop on. I'll take ya as far as I can on this old girl; she's not what she used to be."

"You talk like an old man, Pence." It wasn't too surprising. People aged harshly in the mountains, after all. Lea climbed on board just as the man put the old engine into motion again. He took Ven's hand and helped him up carefully. "This is my friend, Ventus."

The blonde smiled shyly as the engineer looked him over. "I go by Ven, if it's easier."

"Ven, huh? I like it. You seem like a nice kid. Can't imagine what a bunch of pirates want with either of ya, but I'm not complaining. This is the most adventure I've seen in years!" He looked positively giddy. Ven gave him a confused look, while Lea just shook his head, smiling.

"He's kinda crazy," he whispered to the other boy, as the man went back to driving. "They say the dust in his lungs went straight to his head. The mayor gave him this job to tide him over." He wasn't a bad guy, and he still wanted to work, even after the accident. Everyone in town was endeared to him for his commitment, and his kindness, so it was the least they could do.

"Oh..." Ven smiled a little. "He seems nice."

"Yeah, he is. Just don't ask him about the tunnel collapse of 63'-"

"What was that?" Pence turned around, beaming at them. "Year 63, you say? Why, that was the year the eastern mine tunnel collapsed! I can tell you all about it, if you want."

Ven chuckled as his friend slapped his forehead, giving an exasperated groan. "No, Pence, that's alright. Tell us some other time. The pirates are still chasing us."

"Pirates, you said?" Everyone looked up at the sound of a gunshot, seeing a little automobile driving down the side of the cliff into the valley. It was heading right for them.

The blonde boy rounded on him. "Lea! You jinxed us!"

"I didn't think they'd find us so soon! What do you want from me?"

The old man grit his teeth, turning back to the controls. "Lea, you and your friend shovel the coal. We're gonna have to be fast if we want to lose them!"

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Seifer was about ready to punch his younger brother. Preferably hard enough rattle his brain loose. Maybe it would do him so good.

"Myde, stop screaming like a goddamn girl!"

"Hey, you'd be screaming too!" The man was hanging on to the side of the car; the side facing the railroad tracks and coincidentally a hundred foot drop into the valley. Arlene had literally driven into town, scattered the townspeople, and drove off. They had to scramble to get into the car in time, but of course, as usual, Myde was the last to catch up, and the available seats were taken. Hayner was brooding, sporting a nice pair of black eyes, and Seifer was in his usual foul mood. Neither of them would tolerate him sitting in their lap, and of course, Arlene had taken off so quickly that he couldn't consider his other choices for very long. The truck was bolted shut and the tires were screaming, even on the dirt path.

"Mom! Can we please stop so I can get in the car?"

"Quite your whining!" she snapped harshly, taking a big swig from a bottle that's been open on the floor. Even with no top, the whole thing smelled like cheap beer. "If we don't catch them now, we're going to be royally screwed later!"

"But I-"

"Shut up!" She jerked him into the car, practically shoving him into the space under her feet. There wasn't much of it. "There! Not quit distracting me!"

A muffled "Yes mom" answered, followed by some coughing and spitting. It smelled worse down there and the mat was coated with dirt and cigarette ashes. No one bothered cleaning it since they never used it.

Once down the path, Arlene seamlessly jumped onto the tracks, the whole car shaking violently as it registered the new terrain. The planks began to tear up under the force of the wheels, but no body seemed to care, except Myde because he was feeling the brunt of it. Even as the car teetered precariously on the tracks, suspended over a huge drop into the mines below, Arlene still urged the driver to step on the gas, barreling after the little train engine.

"Hurry up, you fool! My crystal's getting away!"

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Lea growled as the pirates appeared around the corner behind them, approaching at a growing rate.

"Pence, this thing's gotta go faster!"

"She's old and tired! This is the best my girl will do!"

The redhead thought for a moment. He could lighten the load and stop the pirates temporarily if he detached the coal car from the engine. It was worth a shot. Motioning to Ven, he grabbed hold of the valve that kept the two cars connected, struggling to turn.

Ven wiped the coal and sweat from his forehead and dropped the shovel. "What can I do?"

"Help me turn this thing, quick!" The strength of them both combined managed to work. The stubborn metal finally gave, and the coal car slowly began to pull away from them. The pirates were about to drive right into the slowly car.

"Take that!" Lea yelled, making a face at them. Ven shook his head and laughed.

"Nice move, Lea! You'd do your old man proud!" Pence said happily. He didn't even seem to care that the fuel for the fire was gone. Ven gave him a small smile.

"What do we do now?"

The redhead pushed the cap back and ruffled his hair, much to the smaller boy's annoyance. "Just keep going and hope for the best."

They all settled in and took a break as Pence drove the engine. The high cliffs on either side of the tracks began to widen, and several other sets of tracks branched out. Ven was looking at one that led into a tunnel. It headed straight through the mountain. Maybe even under it.

"Wow," he said finally. "This place is so huge." He stood slowly, dusting himself off as he went to look over the side of the tracks. Below them, it looked like there was an entire city.

"I'll tell ya what," Pence said. "That down there used to be a city, connected to the town up there." He indicated back the way they came. "There was a huge collapse in the tunnels about 40 years ago, and half of the city down there was buried in rock. The miners who survived tried to dig some of it out, and that's what you see down there."

"That's scary." The blonde looked down at the mine with newfound awe. "All of those people..."

"Yeah, it's a real shame." The old man looked sad. "I was just a boy at the time. Lost my mother and father both in that rockslide. Some of the rock eroded over time, and the rest the townspeople excavated. Just goes to show why you don't build your home at the bottom of the mountain."

"I guess. So that was what happened in 3063?"

"Nope, that was a different accident altogether. Not nearly as bad as this one. I'll tell you that tale later."

Lea stood up and joined him by the edge. "A lot of people in town moved to the edge of the mountain, right up there above the valley. They wanted to be safe about it. I don't blame them."

The blonde shivered. "What if something collapses again? Aren't the tracks in danger?"

Lea shrugged. "Probably. No one really uses these ones anymore though. Except maybe the military; they've kept them mostly intact." He emphasized the word "mostly," scoffing. The military didn't care about anyone but their own selfish needs now. "Their trains come with drills and things, though, if that happens. If the tracks fall, I don't know. They lose a few people, I guess. Everybody in town knows to stay away from this area."

"So the mines aren't used anymore?"

Lea shook his head. "Not these ones. They do go beyond the mountains, though, towards the end. There are safe ways into the valley from there."

"But what about you?" Ven turned to the old engineer. "What if the mountain falls on you?"

"Son, I'm old," he said, no hint of sadness in his voice. "This town doesn't really need me anymore, and no body cares if the tracks collapse. If that's how I go, I'm ready, but until that time, I'll be here. I have a job to do, and I'll make sure it gets done."

Both boys just looked at him, their expressions a mix of worry and pity. But they also showed a deep respect, and for that, they kept silent. No one could convince the man anyway, and it was his life to live. He only had so much of it.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The air was somber after that, until Lea caught sight of something dark in the distance, pointing.

"What is that?"

Pence squinted. "I think it might be...Oh! It's an army tank! They can help you boys out for sure!"

Both trains pulled to a stop, facing each other, just by the next junction. The side of the tank opened and two men in black stepped out, their eyes obscured by dark glasses.

"Hey there, officers! Would you mind helping these boys out a bit? Pirates have been chasing them all day!"

Lea and Ven climbed down onto the tracks, the redhead plastering a smile on his face. "Just smile and nod, Ven. We only have to put up with them for a little while."

The younger boy nodded, and then froze as he caught sight of the approaching men. His friend watched, confused and worried, as he paled.

"Ven? You okay?"

"I-I...I have to go. I'm sorry, Lea." He turned and ran before Lea could even ask.

"Ven? Where are you going?" He noticed the officers starting to run after him, but he tripped them at the last second. He had no idea why his friend was acting this way, but he wasn't about to let them catch him. "Ven!"

"I can't, Lea!" he shouted over his shoulder. Just then, the pirates appeared in the distance, and he stopped, looking frantically for an escape. He chose the junction of tracks to the left. "Don't follow me! You'll get hurt!"

"_You'll_ get hurt, you idiot! Wait for me!" He'd followed this crazy kid this far. He might as well stick with him. Lea caught up to him and took his hand. "What's your deal?"

"Let go of me!"

"No! I'm not leaving you! No come on!" They sprinted down the tracks, ignoring the shouts from all directions. This whole flight was getting insane.

The pirates were literally tearing up the tracks behind them now. The second the tank caught sight of them, it began firing. Pence grabbed one of the men by his collar. "Stop firing! You're gonna kill us all!"

Arlene paid no attention to the canons. The driver jumped to the other set of tracks, barely steadying it before the tires screeched into action again. The car swerved wildly, as Myde popped his head up and screamed.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

Lea spotted a tunnel up ahead. It was the only chance they had.

Suddenly the scene erupted into chaos. A random shot from the canons hit a fragile support beam of the tracks, the decaying wood splintering under the force. The whole section began to shake, and Lea dove to the side, dragging Ven with him before the pirates could either grab them or run them over. The tracks shook and split apart, each end curving and shaking as it fell apart. The force shoved the little car right to the edge of the abyss and onto a patch of ground just outside the end tunnel. Lea managed to grab a broken plank of track that was barely hanging on to the edge, struggling to hold the both of them up.

The car crashed, sending all the pirates flying out. Myde and Arlene were the first to make it back to the edge of the cliff, the younger pirate reaching out a hand to them.

"Here!"

"No!" the boy shouted angrily, gritting his teeth at the strain. He had a good hold on Ven, but not on the tracks. He didn't have a hand he could give the guy anyway.

"Are you crazy? You'll fall!" he shouted back at the stubborn boy. "Come on now, kids! Take my hand!"

Arlene snorted. "Go ahead and let em fall, boy." He shot her a look, but she shrugged. "They won't take your help. So let them crack their stupid little heads open."

"But Mom-"

"Call me Captain!"

The wood cracked just as Lea's hand slipped, and together they plummeted to the mines below...

* * *

I anticipated a lot of people (hehe, a lot) saying, "Why is Tifa married to Lexaeus's character instead of Cloud?" Well I put something in there for that. I just thought she'd make a good fit for this character, and if Cloud was the Boss, lots of people would have to notice they look the same and yada yada yada. Plus, Kairi needed to get her red hair from somewhere, and it'd be easier to say Aeleus and Tifa both had the recessive gene.

Other than that, lots of stuff in this chapter. I wanted to do the fight the boss has with the pirates from the movie, but considering how mean Seifer is in this, I couldn't figure out how to right it where it didn't end badly. More stuff gets explained later, for those few who haven't seen Castle in the Sky. I like to keep it similar enough to resemble that story, but just enough to sort of be its own story too. Also, the . . . . . doesn't always mean a change in POV, although that's what it usually is for. :)


	5. Chapter 5

The wind whipped and battered all around them, trying to rip them apart. Ven was pressed against his friend, eyes shut tight as he awaited the painful impact with the rock below. His life flashed before him in an instant, but the clearest memories were good things, memories that made this even more bitter.

Terra. Granny. The farm. Lea. Everything that was good in his life, everything he loved so dearly. If it hadn't been taken from him yet, it was about to be. And what did he have to show for it?

His life was about to end, and he'd done nothing. Lea's dream..._his_ new dream of finding Laputa together, and understanding it. They were no closer than they had been that morning, and now they would never see it. Tears streamed from his shut eyes. He didn't want to die like this. He didn't want Lea to die like this.

Then...the wind became less harsh. The pace of the fall slowed greatly, and the blonde heard a gasp.

"Ven! Ven, open your eyes! You've gotta see this!"

Cautiously, he pulled back a bit, making sure he was still holding on to Lea tightly. His eyes creaked open, only to snap wide as he saw the blue glow.

"W-What? What's h-happening?"

They weren't falling anymore. They were floating. Like a gentle hand had caught them, lowering them slowly and safely to the ground. And the crystal around his neck was glowing bright blue, floating on its own in front of him. It was just like Lea said before.

"I knew it! I knew it was special!" the redhead exclaimed, dragging the other boy into a tight, mid air hug. Ven yelped, but found himself clinging to his friend even more tightly.

"H-How is this possible?"

The older boy laughed. "You're asking me? It's your necklace, kid, how do you not know about this?"

"I-I've never seen it do this before." He looked down, yelping at the sight of it. "We're still up so high!"

"Hey, don't worry about it. Looks like this thing is going to take us down nice and easy." Lea's gaze darted around to the surrounding walls, excited. "This is so cool!"

Ven couldn't help but laugh, albeit awkwardly. He was nervous about the height and this new power he didn't understand. The boy had a feeling that if he let go of Lea's hand at any point, the older boy would resume falling to his death. So even if _he_ was enjoying this, the blonde was going to take it seriously. His friend would surely do the same, at least until they were safely on the ground.

Or so he thought.

Lea let go of one hand. "Look at this! So cool! It's like flying!"

"Give me that!" Ven snatched his hand back, pouting at him. The redhead chuckled.

"What's eating you, Blondie? This is amazing!"

"We're hundreds of feet up! I don't want you to fall because you were distracted and did something stupid!"

The redhead smiled. "Awwww. I knew you cared. Here, if it really bothers you," he pulled Ven closer, so that not an inch of air was left between them. Ven felt his face heat up, remembering vaguely the way his brother used to hold him when he was younger. It felt nothing like this. The contact wasn't just warm; it was scorching. He squirmed a little bit, awkward but not altogether uncomfortable.

Lea chuckled at him again. "What? I thought you didn't want to let me go."

"I thought I didn't too, but now you're tempting me..." he growled back, too low for him to hear.

The rest of the trip was smooth and uneventful. The boys looked over the scope of the mines in awe. As they got closer, they saw dust and crumbling buildings, some of them filled with rock. A bit of moss was growing in the darker spots; Ven looked up to see the sun getting lower in the sky. Had it been that long already? It still felt like it was morning to him.

"Hey, look! One of the old tunnels!"

The blonde looked down, only to see a hole beneath them, slowly growing larger. He shot his friend a concerned look.

"We're going underground?"

He shrugged. "Don't worry. I always come prepared." Lea reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device. It looked like a mini lantern.

"But what about the air? Is it safe down there?"

"We don't have too many options, Ven." They entered the hole and drifted down a ways, as the older boy pulled out a packet of matches and attempted to strike one. He managed to just a second before they hit the ground. "Let's just count ourselves lucky we got out of that mess unscathed."

"I suppose." Ven saw the gem beginning to drop again, it's glow fading. "Lea, it's going out!"

"I got it! There!" The lantern was lit, giving for a warm, orange glow. Ven blinked as Lea brought it closer to him, lifting his pendant for a better look. "Hmm. That's interesting. I guess it comes to life whenever you're in trouble."

"Or at least every time I fall off of something," the blonde said softly. They both blinked, as Lea began to chuckle. Soon Ven followed suit, imagining how silly it would be. He wouldn't need to worry about tripping anymore.

Holding the stone between his thumb and forefinger, the boy tilted it, hoping to see something he hadn't noticed before. But it looked the same as it always had, now that the glow was gone. "I had no idea it was so powerful."

"Where did it come from?" the redhead asked. Just then, a loud grumbling sounded in the tunnel. The younger boy looked down at his stomach, aghast. "How about we find a better spot to rest first? That sound good to you?"

"Only if we can eat." Lea snorted a laugh, as he began to analyze the surrounding area. This tunnel was far enough down that the light from above wasn't even coming in. There was a tunnel in front of them and behind them, and the rocks were wide enough that an army could have walked through in lines of ten.

Ven swallowed a bit of nervousness. It was dark and deep and eerily quiet. But a nudge to his side brought him right out of it.

"Come on. My instinct says this way."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

They wandered the vast underground caverns for some time. Lea couldn't tell how long it had been exactly, but he legs were starting to ache from the walk. Every once in a while, Ven's stomach would growl, echoing in the mine around them like the growl of some fierce monster. But the boy insisted they find somewhere else to stop and eat; he looked a bit nervous at each place they came to. And Lea kept having to replace the wick of the candle in the lantern; apparently it burned much faster than a norma light.

In the dark, Ven would cling to him tightly, and even after they could see again, he insisted they keep moving.

Soon they came upon an open space, the rock walls looming high and wide above them. On the ground there was a patch of rock and moss beside a large pool.

"Why don't we rest here?" Lifting his lantern, he could see the blonde was exhausted. He was afraid the boy was going to collapse, even as he went to sit down.

They slept for a while, curled up together in the cold darkness. Some immeasurable time later, Lea pulled out the sandwiches Tifa had made them, gently waking his friend.

"Here, eat this." He pressed it into the boy's hand, as Ven blinked up at him and slowly sat up. "It's not good for you to go so long without food."

"Thank you." They ate in tired silence for a while, just sitting and thinking. As he became more awake, Ven seemed to cheer up immensely with some food in his stomach. He rummaged around in the small backpack some more and found an apple and some candy too.

Lea watched him for a while, as he finished his sandwich. "Ven, where do you come from?"

The blonde paused, chewing on a bit of apple before swallowing. "Gondola. It's up in the northern mountains."

"That's cool. What's it like?"

A soft, sad smile answered him. "It's beautiful there. Always warm in the day, but so cold at night. The farm I lived on raised yaks, but we also saw a lot of wild ones wandering around."

"Why did you leave?"

"I didn't choose to!" Ven said suddenly, looking upset. Lea blinked at him, watching as his posture curled inward, looking so sad and lonely. "I...I used to live there with my brother and grandmother. My grandmother died a few years ago, and my brother disappeared a few months ago taking some of the yaks into town to sell."

"I'm sorry, Ven." He put a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder, noticing that he was starting to cry. Ven wiped his eyes.

"I was so worried when he never came back, but I tried to take care of the farm as best I could. It was hard for only one person, but I tried to manage. The only thing that kept me going was taking care of the animals. But just a week ago, these strange men came."

The redhead blinked. "Was it the pirates?"

Ven shook his head, sniffling. "N-No. It was a military agent and his escort, I think. But those men barged into the house and took me away."

"You mean they kidnapped you?"

"Yes!" Ven threw himself in his friend's arms, hugging him tightly. "I-I wanted to wait for him, Lea! I was so sure my brother would come back, but now..."

"Shhhhh, it's okay." He returned the hug warmly, wishing he could do more for Ven. He'd been through so much, and yet he seemed so happy earlier. "It's fine now."

"N-No it's not," Ven muttered back, his voice muffled by the redhead's shirt. "They took everything they could. Then they set all the animals loose and burned the house down. It's gone." He whimpered softly. "Even if I could go back, everything is gone."

"Ven...I'm so sorry." He held him for a long time, letting him cry as much as he needed to. The blonde explained tearfully that the pirates had been after him all week, trying to get through the agent's forces. They had been taking him to one of their bases near here, when the gang had hijacked the airship.

"So that was why you ran from those people earlier?"

Ven nodded, finally calming down a little. "I don't know what either of them want. Drulo wouldn't tell me. He said if I didn't cooperate, they'd do something worse, but I can't imagine what else they could do to me now." He nestled even closer to Lea. "If my brother is alive, I'm glad he wasn't there. I couldn't bear to see them hurt him."

"That's awful. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that," the redhead said sadly. "I'm assuming telling me about your family won't help?"

Ven rubbed his eye, smiling a little. "Maybe. I miss them both so much. I never knew my parents; my grandmother was basically my mother. And Terra was always looking out for me. We were kind of isolated because of the mountains, but he would always play with me and teach me things. He and Granny taught me how to read and write."

The older boy smiled. "They sound like nice folks."

"Yeah." The blonde looked down for a moment, thoughtful. "The whole town seems like your family. That's really nice. I wonder why they would think so bad of your dad?"

Lea sighed. "It's complicated. Everyone in town loved Dad, but when he got back he was so different. A lot of people thought it was a bad change, and they didn't want their kids distracted from practically things. They saw my dad as a bad influence; chasing after dreams and fairytales." He paused for a moment, sighing again. "They aren't bad people, but a lot of them think about things more narrowly than Dad did. Boss and his family took care of me, so I can't really be mad at them. But the others..."

Suddenly, a noise came from the tunnel furthest from them. Lea jumped to his feet and held the lantern out in front of him.

"Who's there?"


	6. Chapter 6

Another chapter! Finals are over! Now I can sleep and let whatever grades come. I'm not too happy with most of my tests, but who knows?

So, if you're familiar with Castle in the Sky, a bit of deviation from the original. But yeah, like I said, I'm making this story more my own by changing somethings. Plus it keeps it interesting for people following along. Thanks for still favoriting, supporting, reviewing, all that jazz. You have no idea how nice that is. :)

* * *

A old voice answered them, slightly withered but not thin or powerless.

"You boys shouldn't be down here. It's not safe."

Lea felt a wave of relief, setting down the lantern. "Old man Yen Sid! Wow, I haven't seen you in so long!"

"Watch yourself, boy." A tall but bent old man stepped into the light. His expression was hard at first, and his eyes were large and somewhat scary. But his tone held a bit of lightness to it, and a slight smile crossed his face. "Make more cracks about my age and the next thing that cracks around here will be your head."

"Just try it, Gramps." The redhead turned to Ven, who had moved to hide behind him. "It's alright. He's a friend."

A snort. "Friend indeed. I for one love to go about calling my "friends" names and ridiculing their ages."

Lea rolled his eyes. "Oh come off it. I was just trying to lighten the mood."

The old man stepped forward, offering a hand to the nervous blonde. "My name is Yen Sid. I am a purveyor of treasure and knowledge, as I happen to come across them."

"Meaning he mines out this old place and sells junk."

"Thank you, Lea, but I'm quite sure the boy is intelligent enough to understand me on his own."

Ven gave a small, startled laugh, watching with growing amusement as they bantered. Lea smiled at that. The old man took himself much too seriously, but he was one of the nicest weirdoes under the earth.

"You have failed in the most basic aspect of introductions, Lea, and that is to fully introduce one party to another." The old miner crossed his arms, frowning almost comically. Lea sighed.

"Yen Sid, Ventus. Ventus, Yen Sid," he said quickly, indicating who was who with hand motions. Ven smiled.

"I go by Ven. It's shorter and easier."

Yen Sid rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Ventus...Such a unique name. Its origin refers to the wind, does it not?"

The blonde blinked. "I think my name means 'wind'...Or was it sky?"

"To which language are you referring, young man? There are many tongues spoken by man."

"As fascinating as this is," Lea said with an impish roll of his eyes, "We were going to finish eating and find our way out of here."

The old man smiled. "Ah, yes. The rocks told me there was some commotion happening on the surface today. You two wouldn't have anything to do with that, now would you?" He moved to sit down at their makeshift campsite, raising an eyebrow when they didn't follow immediately.

Ven leaned over. "Is everyone in this town completely insane?" he whispered.

The redhead shrugged. "Not all of them. A lot of the old people though. They've done a lot of hard work in their lifetimes. Yen Sid went rogue and became a hermit. No one really sees him around anymore."

"Oh..."

They sat together for a while and explained the situation. Yen Sid was nice enough to start a small fire and heat up some tea.

"Pirates and the military? It sounds incredible."

"I know," Lea said. "But I know it's true. I just went through it." The blonde seated at his left nodded solemnly. The old man sighed.

"What is this world coming to? The military is tasked with protecting citizens, not harassing them."

The redhead scoffed. "As if. They may have been that way before, but now they're crooked and corrupt and violent. They're as bad as the pirates, but with legal authority."

Ven shuddered. "Drulo scares me. He was always mumbling to himself and pouring over notes when I was around. But he had this look in his eye; it was almost crazed." He curled further into himself, hugging his knees tightly. "I feel like he's after my pendant, but if it was just that, why didn't he just take it and let me go?"

Lea placed a comforting hand on his arm. "I don't know, kid. There's probably something more to it. But whatever. I'll be here no matter what happens. We're finding Laputa together, remember?" Lea shot the younger boy a warm smile, which he slowly returned.

"Yeah..."

Yen Sid looked at the cavern around them, deep in thought for a moment.

"The rocks have been restless ever since yesterday. That was the day you came here, was it not, Ven?"

The blonde blinked. "Yes. But what do you mean the rocks were restless?"

Lea rolled his eyes. "The rocks 'talk' to him," he said, gesturing sarcastically with his hands. "And I'm one of the ancient builders..."

"I find your lack of faith irritating and impertinent," Yen Sid said firmly, sipping his tea. The younger boy looked between them, confused.

"Ancient builders?"

"Yes, my boy. You see, centuries ago, the concept of a floating town or even a floating island was not so outrageous. There was a time when many of them existed, kept afloat by the technology of the ancient builders. Their idea was to separate man from the earth, supposedly to save us from natural calamities like earth quakes, rock slides, and tidal waves." Ven nodded, eyes wide as he listened attentively. "Dear me, have you never heard this story? It is in the history books the children of our town have been reading for ages. It's probably the same story that inspired your foolish friend over there." Lea pouted.

"You say my idea is foolish, but you talk to rocks! You're the senile one here, Gramps!"

Ven shook his head. "My grandmother only had so many books. She didn't teach me about the ancient histories."

The old man stroked his grey beard, ignoring Lea's outbursts. "Well, it's true. A part of the history is fuzzy, however. No one knows exactly what happened, but disaster struck within a few years of moving the cities airbourne. Many people were killed as the islands fell from the sky. The rumor goes that the only city that managed to stay afloat was Laputa."

"And I get to go find it!" Lea chimed in enthusiastically. Yen Sid shook his head, sighing.

"Since that time, obviously, airships have become more advanced and stable. The builders were shortsighted in thinking they could do so much, and they ignored the earth from which they came. That is why I prefer to stay down here, and speak to the rocks." He spread his arms wide, indicating the walls around them. "Men, I have found, are feisty and ambitious. They wonder about what they can do without stopping to wonder if they should." His eyes fell to Ven, casually glancing over him. "I don't get that sense from you, my boy. Why is it you would seek Laputa?"

The blonde looked down at his lap. "I want to see it because...because I'm curious. Lea wants to go, and I want to go with him. But I also get the feeling that something isn't right." His face scrunched up a little, unsure. "I can't tell what, exactly, but it's what I feel. I want to go there and see it, and if there is something wrong there, I might be able to set it right."

Lea looked at him uncomprehendingly, but the old miner nodded simply. "I wish you both luck, then."

"But I thought you said it didn't exist? That it was foolish to go looking for it?" the redhead said quizzically.

"I never said it wasn't a real place, boy. But believe it or not, many a man has gone searching for the city, hoping for treasure or power or dark secrets. The Laputians were great scientists and architects, but it is rumored that they were also keeping many secrets from the other cities. Many have tried to find Laputa, and almost none have returned alive." He gave Lea a stern look. "You are more noble than some, but you are still ambitious and arrogant. That is why I worried for your sake."

Lea frowned. "Yeah, well...I'm not going to stop looking for it just because of you, Gramps. Keep talk like that to your rocks."

"Why do you keep mentioning the rocks?" Ven asked the both of them, looking exasperated. "What do you mean?"

"The earth speaks to everyone, but often it speaks in small voices, few that men of today can comprehend." Yen Sid motioned for the lantern, and Lea passed it to him. He promptly blew it out, and all went dark as the redhead groaned.

"What did you do that for? Now how will we see?"

"Wait..."

A moment of silence passed. Lea was about to speak again, when suddenly a faint glow in the cavern stopped him. Various bits of the rocks around them began to glow a soft blue-green, reflecting in the water and glowing on the ceiling like vibrant stars in the night sky.

Ven gasped. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah..." Lea stood up and walked around a bit. "How is this happening?"

"The rocks in these mines contain a special element." He picked up a fist-sized rock and motioned them closer. When they gathered around, he took out a small mallet and broke off a chunk of the rock. What was left behind glowed more brightly, the light in the stone resembling ripples in water, before slowly fading away. It looked like an ordinary rock once more.

"Woah..." Lea took it and examined it.

"It's a long forgotten element called 'Aetherium."

The redhead tossed the stone from hand to hand, juggling it. He expected some sort of reaction, but it looked the same no matter what. "How come nobody mines it anymore?"

"People have forgotten how to refine it. It fades quickly, as you just witnessed." The man picked up another rock and cracked it open, revealing the same thing. "It is said that only the Laputians were ever able to successfully refine this element."

Ven nodded. As he slowly stood, he seemed to have an idea. "Maybe..." He pulled the gem out from under his shirt, only to find it glowing brightly, more than all the stones in the cavern. "Lea, look!"

The redhead was at his side instantly, holding the little stone in his palm. "Wow. It's like it's reacting to the rocks."

Yen Sid's eyes went wide. "Is that...?" He stood slowly, moving with the hindrance of age, until he was looking at the pendant as well. "It's an authentic aetherium crystal! No one has seen those in at least a century!"

The blonde's head snapped up. "I-It is?"

The old man took a moment to calm himself. "Yes. That must be why the rocks have grown so restless."

Ven slipped the gem back into hiding and helped the man sit down. Lea couldn't believe this was really happening. The stone was aetherium? Did that mean it came from Laputa?

"Are you alright, Sir?" The blonde was looking a bit alarmed. Yen Sid was curling in slightly, looking tired and haggard and weak.

"Would you kindly light the lantern again, my boy?" Lea moved to do so, hearing him whisper, "That voice is too loud. Too sad..."

The light was lit again, and the light from the surrounding rocks faded away. They were plain and dark again once more.

"The rumors say that the rocks become particularly restless when Laputa appears over the mine. The crystal probably reacts that way as well."

The redhead's eyes bugged. "You mean it? Right now?" When Yen Sid nodded, Lea ran to Ven and squeezed him in a tight hug, practically lifting him off his feet. "Ven, do you know what this means? This is great! Now I can prove that the legend is true! And it's all thanks to you!"

The blonde gasped and struggled for air, but the older boy could see he was smiling. This new revelation was so exciting! Once they had an airship, all they had to do was find where the city was and fly up!

"I must warn you, though." The two boys looked over, Lea letting go, allowing Ven to slump in his arms. The old man looked solemn and serious. "Do not seek the power of Laputa for selfish reasons. You are human, and as such you come from the Earth. Never forget that it is to Earth you must return."

Lea snorted. "Alright, sure. But isn't this great? We're so much closer! We can't thank you enough, Gramps!" He didn't see the fleeting, sad look on his friends face, or his somber nod. Yen Sid rose and turned to leave with a wave of his hand.

"Do not thank me. Go, and whatever you do, be careful."

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After some time, the boys found an exit. The tunnel led them to a green field filled with wild flowers and weeds, under a vibrant blue sky.

"Wow, we must have been down there for a while," Ven said softly, following his friend up into the light. Lea made straight for a hill and raced up it, flopping down on his back at the top. He stared up into the sky, watching the clouds as they passed.

One in particular was large and fluffy. It looked giant, almost ominous, as it sat in the midst of a sea of wisps.

"Beyond that cloud is a floating city no one here on earth believes exists." The blonde looked down at his friend, seeing a grin slowly spreading over his face. Lea sat up quickly, causing Ven to jump in surprise. "But I swear I am going to be the one to prove it! Just you wait and see! I'm going to make my dad proud!"

"Lea?"

The redhead looked over at him curiously, seeing a conflicted look on his face. "What is it? That's still what you want to do, right?"

Ven nodded. "Yes. But you see...there's something I haven't told you yet."

Lea blinked. "You knew about the stone after all?"

"No, it's not that. I haven't lied to you. But there was something I wanted to protect until I knew I could trust you. Is that okay?" The blonde looked nervous and a little afraid, but Lea couldn't find the will to be shocked or upset at all. It was understandable. They had only met...was it a day ago now? Or two?

"I understand," he said calmly, smiling. Ven seemed to smile a little then too. Neither of them noticed a shadow passing over the ground, growing slowly larger...

Ven looked down at his lap, twirling a dandelion between his fingers. "When I was born, my mother named me Ventus. She liked the name, and it was also meant to protect me. My father's family has a very old traditional name, and when the crystal was passed on to me I inherited that name." As he looked up, his gaze met Lea's. Those blue eyes were tense and vulnerable, the redhead saw.

"My true name, the one I inherited, is 'Sora Toel Ul Laputa.'"

Lea's eyes bugged. "Wait, Laputa?" Ven nodded slowly, looking down again. "Then you're-"

"Hold it right there!"

They whipped around, only to see a small military plane beginning to land on the field near them. A man with dark glasses was hanging out of the door, waving a gun. "Stay right where you are, or I'll shoot!"

Ven paled. "How did they find me?"

"It doesn't matter! Come on!" Lea grabbed his hand and tugged, sending them both sliding down the steeper side of the hill. The redhead was swearing harshly as the plane came to a stop and a large group of soldiers poured out, running after them.

"Quick, get back in the mine!"

They almost made it, but just outside the passage they were surrounded. Lea pushed Ven behind him and glared at the soldiers, unafraid.

"Don't come any closer! I'm warning yo-"

A blow to the head sent him to the dirt instantly, sending a hard throb through his whole skull. He looked up, coughing, squinting through bleary eyes, seeing another agent where he was just standing. The man was holding Ven in a headlock, a pistol pressed against his head, the army still swarming around them, coming still closer. And through dulling hearing, Lea heard Ven screaming and struggling, calling his name.

These stayed with him as he faded into unconsciousness...


	7. Chapter 7

Restless dreams made for restless wakings.

Lea paced the floor of his cold cell, wondering what to do next. The room was circular and the walls were piled high with thick stone. There were only four windows, and each were so small and carved so deep into the stone that the boy would have needed a pencil-thin head and a giraffe neck to be able to do anything with them. He couldn't get to them, couldn't break out, couldn't see out.

There was a wooden door, presumably the only exit option he had, and it was locked tight from the outside. That, and the doorknob seemed to be stuck.

"Damn it!"

With a dejected sigh, Lea went back to the small cot and threw himself down on it. Everything felt so hopeless. No one was answering him, he had no idea how long he'd been out, or even how long he'd been in this room. It could have been days, a week for all he knew. And Ven...

Where was he? Was he alright? The memory of Ven struggling and screaming had hit him like a rock when he woke up. It made his desire for escape more urgent, but more despairing when he realized he couldn't escape. Lea rolled over, throwing an arm over his eyes as he was struck with a sudden headache.

In their impromptu journey together, Lea had stopped wondering what the military and pirates wanted him for. It became real when he realized that they were trapped, that now he was stuck in here too.

"Laputa..."

The mystery surrounding his new friend was expanding, the more he learned. Was Ven lying? Lea hesitated to think it, but still. The blonde had opened up to him, shared some of his heartache, but he had also kept...something. He was guarded, uncertain for one reason or another. Lea thought that was only natural, but the redhead couldn't keep the slightest suspicion from his mind.

Laputa was important to him. Was it important to Ven too? Did he know more than he was letting on?

Lea groaned, flopping back into the hard pillow. "I've gotta stop doing that." Ven was his friend. He was sitting here second guessing, debating the boy's character when Ven hadn't even done anything yet. Hopefully the boy was safe for now, not being terrorized by soldiers.

He tried to distract his mind from the all too real possibility that he'd be disposed of. Then his dreams for Laputa wouldn't matter anymore.

For the next span of time, whatever it was, Lea wandered the cell, banged on the door, tried to force his way to one of the windows, and ended up staring blankly at the wall. There wasn't much else to do. Judging from the type of stone and the room itself, he assumed it was at a military base of some kind. Could it possibly be the one just outside of town?

"Heh...I wish..." A lot of good it would do him, anyway. No body in town knew where they were or where they were going, so it was obvious that no one was coming for them.

"I guess I just sit here and wait." For what, exactly? To die? To be let out? Did they really expect him to keep using that crappy little chamber pot in the corner?

The boy grimaced as he made use of it. It stank of other people, and rust. Just how many others had been trapped in here before him? And for what?

"Probably stupid little things..." He smacked his forehead. "Damn it, I'm talking to myself." He went to the door and began banging on it again. "You might as well let me out now. I'm cracked. Gone. Jumped off the deep end."

No answer.

"Any chance someone's gonna feed me? I'm starving!"

Still no answer. He was about to go back to the bed and stare at the high ceiling again, when suddenly the knob gave a loud creak, and a key scrapped in the lock.

"Come on out, kid. You're free to go."

He stumbled back, confused. The soldier that opened the door was a young man, and his face was not altogether unkind as he stood back, revealing an open corridor. Lea blinked, wondering if this was a trap, when he caught sight of a familiar looking blonde at the end of the hall.

"Thank gods, you're alright." He ran to Ven and crushed him into a hug. The boy was tense and his arms were hesitant as they wrapped slowly around him. Lea pulled back quickly then, looking his friend over with a worried eye. The blonde looked pale and shaken, his shoulders tensed in a submissive curl. His eyes were a little hazy looking, and the bags under them spoke volumes.

Instinctively, the older boy looked him over. "Ven, what's wrong? Did they hurt you?"

The blonde looked like he wanted to speak, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him dead. Lea noticed for the first time that a tall, blonde man with a goatee was standing behind them, dressed very formally and wearing a forced smile.

"You must be Lea. I've heard so much about you. I am Colonel Drulo of Base 10." The man extended a hand and Lea shook it, his eyes wary. "On behalf of this entire facility, I want to apologize for the horrible way you were treated. We are indebted to you for protecting Ventus from those awful pirates."

Ven said nothing, looking away when the man's eyes fell on him. The redhead looked between them, very confused. "It's been decided that we will continue the search for Laputa for Ventus's cooperation."

"What...but Ven, you said we were going to look for it together," Lea urged, grasping the boy's arms and shaking him gently. "I thought you-"

"Lea, it's alright." The blonde gave him an uneasy smile. "I was...just being silly. I want to help them with this. I have to see Laputa for myself."

"But...what about me? What about us?"

"These people have the time and resources to do it, Lea. They'll get there faster. " Ven shook his head then, looking more serious. "You should forget about Laputa."

"He's right. The best thing for you to do is forget you ever heard of the place," Drulo said, his voice smooth and confident.

"No, I can't!" Lea looked at him angrily, shoving him away. "I won't! Laputa means too much to me! What the heck is wrong with you?"

Ven looked desperate, closing the distance between them again. "Please, do it for me?"

"No! How could you, Ven? You want to go with them now, just so you can get there first or something? Grow up!"

He saw tears beginning to form in those deep blue eyes, but he didn't care. Ven _had _betrayed him after all, if the kid had ever been honest.

Ven turned away, the man's hand still on his shoulder. Barely keeping his voice steady, he said, "I'm sorry. Good bye." He walked briskly toward the door. Lea moved to go after him, to shout, cry, shake him, anything to relieve his frustration. Anything to understand this horrible, sinking anger within him. But the man caught him by the back of his shirt, and held him firmly even as he struggled.

"Ventus!"

The man scoffed, his smooth facade dropping for cold indifference. "Calm down, boy. There's nothing you can do. He's made this choice to go without you."

Slowly, the redhead calmed down, feeling dejected, angry, hurt, and very, very tired. When he stopped struggling, Drulo let him go, reaching into his pocket and dropping a small weight into his unresisting hand.

"Here. A little something for your trouble." He slipped a few gold coins in, and turned to leave. "The door is on the right. No funny business, or you'll be thrown out of here. Have a nice day."

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Lea walked back to town, ignoring the curious stares and random questions. He almost past his boss's house, when a little girl with short red hair came out on the doorstep.

"Hey, mommy! Lea's come back!"

Tifa appeared quickly beside her, and Lea could see her sporting several bruises and bandages. He could only guess what his boss looked like after fighting off pirates. It was nice to see Kairi hadn't been hurt at all, but Lea could only feel so happy. He was emotionally drained after a day like this. He didn't even want to talk as Tifa ran over, looking at him worriedly.

"Lea, I'm so glad you're alright! But where's your friend?"

"He's not my friend, Tifa..."

Her eyebrows shot up. "What happened? Is he alright? Lea, please tell me what's going on."

He flinched as she ran a hand through his hair, looking at him so worriedly. He just wanted to go home now.

"It's over," he said bitterly, before turning and taking off at a run. Kairi and Tifa called for him, but he didn't stop or turn back. He just wanted to be home, to bury himself in his own bed and let it be.

He was just outside the house when he tripped. He felt so angry, he went to throw the money on the ground. He wanted to spit on it, stomp it into the dust. Screw Ven and the military and anything he had ever trusted. But even as his fist shook, the desire quickly faded. Dirty or not, the money could help buy parts he needed, or food. He should...he should keep it. Money was money...

With a tired groan, he got up and brushed himself off. The boy walked slowly to the door, digging through his pocket for his key...

The door slammed open, and suddenly a blonde with mullet hair was smiling at him.

"Oh hi there!"

"What?" The man grabbed him by his shirt and dragged him inside. "Hey!"

Arlene took a massive bite of a chicken leg, just as the Lea was tugged inside. "Oh, it's you again. Tired of running around with your little friend, are you?"

"Get out of here!" The redhead kicked and struggled as he was forced against a beam, thick rope pulled tight around him. "This is my house! Get out!"

"You don't scare me, kid. The military kicked your sorry ass back here. You can't even fight for what you believe in, so what makes you think you can fight me?"

The man next to him starting going through his pockets. "Hey! Stop!"

"Hey Mom, can I keep this money?" The giddy man held out his palm, producing the coins Lea had received earlier.

"Call me Captain, damn it!" Arlene slammed a bottle on the table, rattling the wood harshly. She then took a big swig of it, giving the man a thumbs up.

"Yay!"

"You can't do that!" Lea snarled, fighting his bonds tiredly.

The pirate captain sneered at him. "Why should you care? Your type are all the same. You make friends and then you sell em out when it's convenient for you. You sleaze...I feel sick just looking at you."

"I didn't do that! Ven was the one who betrayed me! He sold out!"

"Hah! Is that what you think then?"

"Why are you even bothering talking to this trash?" Another blonde man sneered, stuffing mash potatoes into his mouth.

"Seifer, learn to chew with your mouth closed," Arlene said pointedly, slapping his back so hard he choked.

"You can either be my captain or my mom, but you can't be both," he snarled back, shoveling more food in.

The woman rolled her eyes, looking at her other two boys before slowly going back to Lea.

"Do you really think they would let you go that easy?"

The boy blinked, but his eyes quickly hardened again. "What are you talking about?"

Arlene shrugged, picking up another bit of chicken. "You interfered with the military's plans. They were probably just going to kill you, but twisted the situation to work in their favor." When the redhead didn't seem to be following, she groaned. "They forced Ventus to make a deal. The brat saved your life."

Lea's eyes widened. "What? N-No, it couldn't-"

"Oh really? You were such good friends with him earlier, and now all of the sudden you hate him? You treat him like garbage, without even considering why he did what he did?" She spat out a piece of bone onto the plate, before using it to pick her teeth. "Some friend you are."

One of the other men looked at her quizzically. "How do you know all this?"

"Hayner, it's not that hard to figure out. Ventus and I aren't so different. Granted, he's a boy, but he's soft and mushy on the inside, just like me."

"You? Mushy? Please..."

The conversation kept going, but Lea stopped hearing it altogether. Ven had...saved him. He knew what was happening, and he gave up his freedom just so his friend could escape.

_'Ven...what did you do?'_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ven sat on the windowsill looking out over the courtyard, knees drawn up to his chest as he watched. Troops of soldiers were marching on the practice grounds, long, gleaming rifles held tight in their hands.

The boy shuddered a little, looking back around the room. It was circular in shape, with a desk and a large four-poster bed for decoration. On the bed were various present boxes. He had checked each one earlier, but found nothing he could use to escape. Only clothes and a few golden trinkets. Odd gifts, considering he was their prisoner.

Drulo insisted he bathe and change, which he did, but only if they would let him see Lea. The man had agreed, and then he left. That had been some time ago, and Ven couldn't help but feel nervous.

Where was Lea? He had hoped they'd stay together, but the soldiers carrying his friend went to a different part of the base, and Ven was helpless to stop them. He tried to stifle the fear that was constantly growing inside him, but with no word from anyone for a few hours, he was left to cope alone. The tray of food sitting on the desk was left cold and untouched, his stomach too knotted to even consider it.

So Ven sat very still, even as his muscles ached for use. He sat there, waiting, frightened, the aetherium crystal clenched tightly in his hand being the only comfort he could find. They hadn't taken it this time, thankfully, but he didn't trust it.

After what seemed like a painful eternity, the door to his suite opened. Ven was on his feet in seconds.

"I see you're looking much better."

The boy ignored the greeting, forcing his tone to be firm and unafraid. "Where is Lea? Can I see him now?"

"Soon, Ventus, I promise," Drulo urged. "Don't worry. Your friend is being treated like a guest of royalty. Now, I have something I want to discuss with you." A few of his personal escort gathered in the doorway behind him, their eyes cool and quietly menacing.

"Come with me."

The boy couldn't refuse. Nervously, he swallowed around the lump in his throat, narrowed his eyes determinedly, and followed the man out and down a long corridor. They came to another circular room and went down a long staircase, all the way to the bottom floor. Two guards stood at attention in front of a heavy set of metal doors. They nodded and parted when Drulo approached, and soon the doors slid open.

"Wait for me out here," the blonde man said, indicating the soldiers and his escort. He motioned for Ven to follow him inside. The doors then slammed closed behind them, making the boy jump slightly.

"Calm down, Ventus. I don't bite," the man chuckled dryly, before pressing a button on the wall. A spotlight from the ceiling came down, illuminating most of the room, and the boy gasped at the humanoid hunk of metal revealed on the floor.

"Amazing, isn't it? It's called a robot, I believe. We were just beginning to lose hope, but then a month ago this fellow landed in our lap. He fell right out of the sky."

Ven blinked at him, then down at the figure. Its body was segmented and jointed with bolts and screws. It lay on the ground, motionless, almost dead looking, and Ven hesitated to come closer. He was terrified enough of being alone with Drulo, but he had not idea what this thing was capable of, or if it was alive at all. If it stood up, it would be twice his height.

"We still have no idea what he is made of, but he did tell us one thing." The man noticed Ven's fear and shook his head. "Don't worry, boy, he's really quite dead. There's nothing to fear." Drulo pointed to a small spot on his chest. "Observe the insignia on his chest. I believe you'll find it to be quite familiar."

Slowly, the boy obeyed, creeping closer until he could see. Eyes widening, Ven pulled out his pendant and looked at the design etched into it, then back at the robot. The markings were exactly the same.

"Yes, boy. As you can see, the crystal is connected to this machina, as well as the decoration over the fireplace in your home...Well, what's left of it now_._" The man chuckled again, seeing the boy's eyes narrow in anger. "Oh come now. I rescued you from that dingy farm. You were wasted there; now you can be a part of something truly special."

"I don't want to be a part of anything to do with you! You took away everything!" The boy's expression became lonely and desperate. "Why? If you want this," he took off the pendant and shook it in his fist, "fine! Then take it! Why can't you just take it and leave me alone?!"

Drulo's expression hardened. "You're being very silly about this, Ventus. That stone you wear is the key to finding Laputa. The robot is proof enough that the city still exists, and its technology is intact. We are going to find Laputa and take possession of that technology before any other forces can mobilize against us."

"Laputa?"

The man clenched his fist. "Yes. The same technology that kept the city airbourne also made it a major power that threatened to destroy the entire planet." His face slowly converted into a sly smile, and he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "If such a horrible thing is still up there, you can understand what a threat that is to the peace of the world. You see, Ventus, your help is desperately needed."

"But I don't know anything! Even if this stone has powers, I can't activate them!" He grabbed Drulo's hand, pressing the stone into it. "Just take it, please. Take it and let Lea and me go. We will never bother you again. You can keep Laputa's treasure and technology for yourself, just please let us go."

"Oh, I don't think so." Drulo grabbed his wrist with his other hand. "This stone may be the key, but it won't work without you."

"Why?" Ven sobbed, fighting the now painful hold on him. "I don't want any part of this! Please just let me go!"

Drulo slapped him. Not very hard, but enough to make him freeze and wither from the man's cold stare. Ven began shaking violently. The military had been rough before, but no one had raised a hand against him yet.

"You should be careful, boy. If you don't cooperate with us, I'm afraid I won't be able to protect your friend, Lea."

The blonde looked at him, horrified. "What?!"

The agent smirked, touching Ven's cheek with an almost sickening caress.

"Think, Ventus. I can't guarantee his safety unless you help us. These men are ruthless; I can't control them, but I can bargain with them. And what they want most is your information. I'd hate to see the same fate that befell your brother be his fate as well."

"W-What?" He pressed closer, hands clenching desperately in Drulo's shirt. "No! No, you can't mean...What did you do to Terra?"

"He tried to interfere, and the general didn't like it. It was out of my hands."

"N-No..." Ven sank slowly to his knees, sobbing into his hands. Tears were pouring down his cheeks in violent, swelling floods. Terra hadn't disappeared. They killed him.

Drulo walked away from him for a moment, letting it sink in. Ven couldn't think. He could hardly breathe. He couldn't even feel frightened anymore. His brother's murderer was alone with him, but he couldn't even work up the nerve to be afraid of that. All he could think of was Terra, the only family he'd had left...

"It's your choice. I would be honored if you could help us, _Sora Toel Ul Laputa._"

Ven gasped, snapped out of his misery. He gaped up at the cold, ruthless man, who was now smirking down at him. "You know my real name?"

"_'Ul' _means 'ruler' in Laputian. _'Toel' _means 'true.' You are a royal descendant, heir to the throne of Laputa."


	8. Chapter 8

"What do you mean you don't know?"

Drulo ignored the harsh snarl across the table, instead beginning to inspect his nails.

"Don't you ignore me, you godless bastard! What the hell do you mean?" The general got to his feet, snapping at his soldiers. "I can't trust you lot to get anything done! Bring the boy here! I'll have him talking in two minutes!"

"Come now, General. That approach won't get you anywhere."

The man growled. "And why not?"

"Because it's too harsh. We're not talking about a hardened criminal. It's just a silly little boy."

"We need that information, Drulo. Without it, we have to halt the search. Do you know how many resources we've already expended?" Dilan stalked over to the window, visibly calming a little. "Finding that brat took us too long already. We should have found Laputa already."

"We'll have what we want in due time, General. Goliath will be here by morning, and then we will have all the time in the world."

The other man sighed. "True enough. For now." He shot the agent a warning look. "Just remember that the government put me in charge of finding Laputa. And I want that information in two days time."

Drulo grinned. "Of course, Sir. But you would do well to remember that I am in charge of you. And I will get you the necessary details at _my _leisure." He stood, pushed his chair in quietly, and left. General Dilan glared at the door where he'd disappeared, his anger smoldering under the surface.

"Blast. I really hate that man." It was obvious that the agent couldn't be trusted. He was arrogant and sure, but he didn't cooperate well with the army or its leaders. Dilan briefly entertained the idea of locking him up in a cell for the rest of the search. He would have some cleaning up and ass kissing to do back at the main base when it was all over, but it would be so worth it. Drulo was proving to be more irritating than could be tolerated.

They needed to work together, or this mission would fall apart.

He called two soldiers to his side and they saluted quickly. "Go find the boy and see if you can get some information out of him. Whatever you do, don't let Drulo catch wind of it." They nodded and left. "Report."

"Sir, we've picked up the signal. Goliath should be here in less than an hour."

"Good." He glanced out the window one last, long moment, and then exited.

There was still so much to do.

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A sudden static sound filled the room, and Arlene's eyes brightened.

"Ah! Finally!" With one arm, she sloppily cleared a large space on the table, slamming an old radio down on it the next second. Lea, still disheartened, watched as she pulled out a small booklet from her pocket and held the earpiece up.

"What is it, Mom?"

"That's CAPTAIN! And be quiet! I'm listening!" The man shrugged and kept eating, as she began flipping through the book and muttering. "Oh, you poor fools. You really think changing the code's going to work again?"

The redhead perked up. "What's happening?"

The man who had spoken earlier looked at him, a big piece of pork in his mouth. "Vhe miwitaree comoonicakes fhew waedio."

"Huh?"

Seifer rolled his eyes. "Not that it's your business. Dumbass said the military is sending a message across radio channels."

Myde swallowed his food, smiling. "Yeah. They're trying to keep it all secret, but Mom's got a code book! She can figure out any-"

"QUIET!" Everyone winced as the woman began frantically writing down details, trying to keep up with the message. "The base just outside of town is calling for Goliath."

The others' eyes widened, and Myde gasped. Lea looked at them all quizzically. "What's Goliath?"

Hayner shook his head. "Really? You don't know? It's only one of the biggest airships the army has in its arsenal."

"Well, I didn't know! I don't go listening to their radios!"

The blonde rolled his eyes. "It's not like Goliath is that big of a secret. I thought everybody would no about it."

"Maybe in pirate circles they do." Lea pouted, struggling a little against the ropes again. "No body around here cares enough to go snooping. The military causes us nothing but trouble."

Arlene snarled. "Damn it! We have to make a move now. They're planning to leave with Ventus in the morning." When nobody moved, she bellowed, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GET TO IT, YOU LAZY SLUGS!"

They scurried to life, packing Lea's food and other supplies away as she shouted orders.

"CALL THE TIGERLILY AND TELL THEM TO RENDEZVOUS HERE! GET YOU SHIPS SHIP SHAPE NOW!"

Lea watched them race around, struggling hard. "Wait! Are you guys going to rescue Ven?"

Seifer growled. "We need his crystal, but sure. Whatever."

"Let me come with you! I can be useful, I swear!"

"Why the hell should I allow that?" Arlene stopped in front of him. Even as she strapped on her flying goggles, he could feel her icy stare. "You're a spineless little coward. You've already proved that."

"I can do better!" he yelled back. "I failed before, but I'm not afraid! Let me come with you, and I swear I will protect him this time!"

"What're you gonna do if I say no, huh? Cry?" she sneered.

"No! If you leave, I won't stop fighting til I get out of this! I'll save him my own way! I don't care how long it takes!"

For a moment, they just stared at one another, Arlene evaluating everything he said. Her gaze was hard, but he didn't falter. He couldn't afford to. The pirates were his best chance. But whatever happened next, he owed it to Ven to help him.

The woman straightened, letting out a small "hmph."

"I suppose you'd be useful getting the brat to cooperate. Fine." She drew out a small gold dagger and began slicing through the ropes. "You may never come back here, boy. Ready for that?"

"Yes."

"Are you ready for anything?"

"Yes."

She smirked. "Good. Welcome to the crew. The official initiation will have to come later. Get to it! We leave in one minute."

The coarse rope frayed and gave way, and the redhead was off. He gathered what he needed, including his father's old flying goggles. On the roof, he opened the bird hatch one last time, letting them fly off to wherever they might go. It was a bit scary, but he was ready for it. He'd known all along that he'd be leaving this place at some point. He just didn't think it would be so soon.

"Captain, the Tigerlily says they're stationed in the clouds above us."

"Good. We'll be back with Ventus before midday at the latest." The crew rushed to their little ships, all of them like small variations of the pirate's main ship. Lea and Arlene took one ship, buckling in as she scowled at the horizon.

"It'll be dawn soon. You slugs know the plan. Get moving!"

"Aye!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ven yelped as he was pushed to the floor, his cheek impacting hard enough to make his teeth chatter.

"That's enough," one soldier said lowly to the other, gripping his arm. "Leave a mark on him, and General Dilan will have your head."

"Why is he sneaking around the colonel in the first place? Hell, why are we treating this brat so good when he won't fucking cooperate?" the other growled, moving to grab the boy again. His companion stopped him though, shaking his head.

"Beats me too. But I can't be bothered right now. Just take it as orders and let's go. We've been here too long anyway." With no other word, they left, as the blonde picked himself off the floor. He felt as though he'd been slapped.

The soldiers had asked the same thing Drulo asked of him: the spell that would activate the crystal. They all seemed to think that it could be brought to life, and would point the way to Laputa. But Ven had no idea what it was supposed to do, or what the words were. He tried to think back as he settled into a seat on the windowsill carefully, wiping his tears.

His grandmother taught him some words when he was younger. They were spells in a way, he supposed, but nothing he had ever attributed to his pendant. And he had stopped believing in them when he was ten.

But after what he had seen the crystal do, could he really pretend it wasn't possible?

Touching his cheek and wincing at the slight throb, he tried to think. What kind of spell could Drulo want? Granny had taught him so many, it was hard to keep track of them all.

He leaned his head against the wall and thought...

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_Ven crept into the barn, looking for his older brother. He was very small then, so he couldn't see over the high doors in the stable. Fortunately though, he glimpsed Terra standing just inside one of the doors, humming a little to himself as he brushed off one of the yaks. He wiped the sweat from his brow, sighing._

_"Warm day..."_

_The little blonde moved closer, trying to quiet his sniffles. It didn't work, though, and soon enough, Terra looked up from his work._

_"Ven, there you are! I was beginning to wonder..." He trailed off, as he glanced over the boy. "What happened to you?" He slipped out the door and locked it quickly, lifting his brother into his arms with a worried look. "Your hair is a mess! Why are you so dirty?"_

_"T-Terra..." He snuggled against the brunet's chest, whimpering softly._

_"Come on. Let's go get you fixed up, alright?" He carried the blonde out of the barn and into the little house next to it. The blue-haired woman, her hair now whitening with age, was bent over a pot, stirring when they entered. She looked up with a small smile._

_"Terra, you finished your chores already? Somehow I doubt that." He chuckled, and even Ven smiled a little._

_"Not quite. Ven here seems to have found some trouble again."_

_Aqua put her hands on her hips. "Really now, boy? What happened this time?"_

_Terra slid him to the ground, and the little boy ran to his grandmother's skirts, clinging tightly as he sobbed. The woman softened her gaze, sighing._

_"Go tend to the animals, dear. I'll handle this." The older boy nodded and left. Aqua lifted her grandson into her lap as she sat back down by the fire. He was grateful as she let him cry a few minutes more, slowly calming himself._

_"Ventus..." She wiped the dirt and tears from his cheek and kissed it softly. "Sweetheart, maybe...Granny should teach you a spell. One that will help you when you're in trouble."_

_The blonde looked up at her curiously, his eyes comically wide. "A magic spell, Granny?"_

_She smiled, petting his hair soothingly as she hugged him close. "Yes, child. This is a very special one. I want you to promise never to tell it to anyone, and only use it when you need to."_

_He nodded. "I will. I promise."_

_"Alright. Listen carefully now." She cleared her throat quickly. "Liete latuparietos ulos aleaslos balolietolie."  
_

_Ven blinked at her, as his little face scrunched in concentration. "Li...Lite ah..."_

_She chuckled. "Like this, dear. Liete latuparietos ulos aleaslos balolietolie." She helped him slowly until he could repeat it._

_"What's it mean, Granny?"_

_"It means 'Save me.' 'Save me and revive the eternal light.'"_

_The boy nestled closer to her, hugging her tightly as he looked up in childish awe. _

_Aqua smiled, rocking him gently until he began to doze__._

_ "You will understand someday..."_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ven blinked slightly at the memory. What had happened that day? Strangely, the words were the freshest thing in his mind. He could imagine his grandmother still repeating them to him, urging him to follow along.

_'Granny...Terra...' _It brought tears to his eyes again. They were too far gone to help him anymore.

Staring out the window as the tears began to flow again, he whispered to them, hoping against hope that something good would come.

"Liete latuparietos ulos aleaslos balolietolie."

At first, nothing. The words didn't even echo; they were spoken softly, and seemed to die as they left his lips. How could such small, insignificant words possibly hold any real power?

Just as Ven went to pull the pendant out and inspect the gem, the crystal began to quiver in his hand. It grew very warm, and as he drew it out the dark room was suddenly engulfed in light, far more brilliant than any light before.

"Ah!" He shut his eyes against the blinding rays, feeling immense waves of power radiating from the stone. It rattled the windows and scattered papers across the room, if the sound was any indication. Ven was too afraid to open his eyes, lifting his arm to shield even his lids from the light.

"What is this?"

The boy turned, forgetting his fear as he saw the light had dimmed. Drulo was standing in the doorway, his escort behind him, all of them gaping at the light dangling from his neck. Slowly, the agent's face grew into a grin, and he approached Ven, shielding his eyes with one arm.

"You've done it! The stone has come to life!"

"What are you talking about?" The blonde staggered as a wave of power rippled from the stone again, almost sending him off his feet. Drulo pressed forward against the sudden surge in power, grabbing his arm tightly.

"Tell me the spell! What are the secret words?" he shouted.

"I don't know! Please, let me go," The man was shaking him now, his grip painfully tight. "You're hurting me."

Drulo didn't seem to be listening. His eyes were fixed on the crystal, almost reflecting its glow. "Regardless, this is quite fortuitous. Come. We have to tell the General immediately."

"B-But I..."

With the help of his escort, Drulo dragged him from the room. Meanwhile, deep below the base, a once dormant figure began to move, the first of its long fingers twitching slowly...


	9. Chapter 9

Arlene's ship skidded to a stop, hovering up and down over the field. The other pirates followed suit on their ships, gaping at the sight that greeted them.

That wasn't the sun rising in the distance. That was the military base, burning with livid fire.

"Dear god..." Lea couldn't believe it. The building was exploding in flame, large chunks of it crumbling away. High above the base, a massive air ship was looming overhead, moving ever so slightly til it sat just over one of the towers. "What is that?"

"Goliath," the pirate hissed, before sending the little ship jumping to life. The redhead fell forward against her with a yelp as she gunned it. "That's the military's best air ship destroyer."

Lea took a moment to make sure his safety strap was still taut and in place, before he looked up at the ship again. "Destroyer?"

"It's a war ship, stupid boy! The guns on that massive thing could turn your whole town over there into burning rubble in a matter of seconds!"

An icy grip of fear took hold of him, paling as he watched it. For whatever reason, the military base was burning down. He thought that Goliath was destroying it, but then an explosion came from the highest tower, sending a beam straight up and just narrowly missing the massive airship.

Something was attacking the base from the inside.

Ven was in there somewhere. They had to reach him in time, before whatever was destroying the base got to him. Or before he got onto that ship. They'd never have a chance rescuing him from that. The Tiger Moth was easily a tenth of its size.

"Arlene, please hurry!"

"What do you think I've been trying to do? Damn brat!" She smacked him with her elbow, pulling a lever on the controls down all the way. Suddenly the ship shot forward with an intense burst of speed. Were it not for his seat belt, Lea was sure he'd have been flung out. He grasped the side and readjusted his goggles, his eyes never leaving the sight just up ahead.

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They made their way quick down a long hall, the crystal bathing everything with a soft, green light. The powerful waves of energy had faded, but the light remained strong, practically searing his eyes if he tried to look down. Ven swore as the agent's grip on his wrist tightened painfully. With a harsh jerk, he pulled away, simultaneously bringing the group to a halt.

"Stop it! I can walk just fine by myself!"

Drulo fixed him with an impatient look. "Listen here, whelp. I-"

But before any more could be said, the entire base began to shake and rattle. They threw themselves against the wall, trying to remain steady on their feet as the very foundations shook violently. One of the men with them, who the blonde remembered was named "Ienzo," stumbled and fell to his knees, wincing as his side contacted with a table corner.

"Get up, you idiot!" Drulo shouted irritably, kicking the man.

Just as the shaking began to slow, the glow of Ven's pendant drew back into the stone, shrouding the room in dark once again. He gasped, feeling for the stone and finding it easily, to his relief. It was still there. Something about the past few minutes had made him think, if only for a moment, that it could have vanished into thin air.

As it all went silent again, a few approaching footsteps could be heard. The blonde blinked against the dark, waiting for his sight to adjust.

"Sir!" The footsteps grew louder, the voice that followed them frantic and terrified. "Sir, the robot! It's come to life!"

"What are you blathering about?" Drulo hissed angrily, and in that moment, Ven felt himself being grabbed again. He yelped, not expecting the sudden jerk. "That thing is dead! It's never moved an inch!"

"I-It's moving now!" the soldier urged, as another quake shook the ground. "It's destroying the whole damn place!"

"How?"

Clumsily making their way in the dark, the group raced down the corridors until they came to a small bridge. Drawn to the sounds of screams below, they crossed to the middle. Once he looked down, Ven gasped at the sight of so much fire. Some of the soldiers were trying to shut the heavy metal doors, but the robot burst through each barrier with ease, blasting fire from its "eyes" that melted everything away.

"See? It's alive!" The soldiers from before shrieked and fled, just as the room shook again. Ven fell forward against the railing, clinging to it desperately. He prayed that the bridge would continue to hold them.

Drulo watched the robot continue its climb upward, his eyes shining with awe. No bullets could stop the thing, and the soldiers were rapidly giving up trying. It paced up the steps at a slow shamble, but it was blasting everything in its way mercilessly.

"I understand now." Without warning, Ven felt himself yanked back from the railing, suddenly staring into crazed blue eyes. "It's your crystal. The force of the ancient spell has brought the robot back to life."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't you see what this means, stupid boy? The crystal answers your command! The way to Laputa has been opened!" Drulo grabbed hold of the gem, as though he were going to tug it off.

"Stop it! You'll break it!" Fighting against him, Ven didn't notice the robot look up at the sound of his voice. "Let go!"

"Sir, look!" Ienzo pointed as the thing extended its arms slowly. Drulo blinked.

"It's going to fly!"

With a rocket boost from its feet, the robot shot upward. It flew unsteadily with one arm partially broken.

"It's coming this way!"

"Run!"

Ven managed to break away from the man just as the robot crashed threw a part of the bridge. Drulo and his escort scrambled to the other side, barely making it before the wood collapsed under them. The boy saw his opportunity and lunged for the opposite side, making it safely before his part of the bridge fell away. Looking up, he gasped, seeing the robot clinging to the stone wall adjacent to him. It's "head" tilted, "eyes" seemingly fixed on him.

Desperate, Ven saw that his only escape was a small stone staircase just behind him. He ran for it just as the robot being flew clumsily after him, smashing hard against the stone.

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"Someone tell me what's going on! I want someone over there right now!"

Even as his office shook, General Dilan slammed his large hand down on the phone. "Report!...What do you mean the robot's attacking the base?"

"Sir! The robot is climbing the south tower! Orders!"

"South tower?" He turned back to the whole, growling. "Don't just stand around idly, you idiot! Send a message to Goliath! Tell them-"

The line went dead. Cursing, he slammed the phone again and shoved it violently off the desk.

"Damn it!"

"Sir?"

"Something's cut the line!" More like someone. Dilan could smell a rat a mile off. He doubted that rat had anything to do with the robot; that thing had been examined countless times, and nothing had managed to wake it.

But this wasn't the time to be asking questions. Once this robot problem was over with, then he could figure it out. And rip the rat in question a new asshole.

"Get a message to Goliath at all costs! Wait for the robot to be in sight, then blast the damn thing!"

"But what about the base?"

"Screw it! Just get everyone outside and tell them to prepare to fire!"

Soldiers scrambled to get out of the base, shouting directions about the south tower. No one paid any mind as Drulo slipped outside, discarding a set of wire cutters with one hand, a radio device in the other.

Panting for breath, Ven reached the top of the stairs, opening the hatch leading to the roof of the tower. There was no one down except the way he'd come; he prayed the robot wouldn't destroy the tower, causing him to fall to his death.

Looking out over the land beyond, the boy shuddered as his pendant began to tingle, a warm feeling spreading from where the stone touched him. A single thread of light shot forth from its center, pointing into the sky. He looked down at it, surprised.

"It's...pointing?" His eyes followed the light until it vanished into the clouds. "Laputa?"

"Up there!"

His gaze snapped down again, seeing a group of soldiers gathering at the base of the tower. They had guns aimed and ready, and for a moment he thought they were going to shoot him. He backed away carefully, only to stumble as the tower shook again, the robot bursting through the stone roof and settling just in front of him.

Trying to keep calm, Ven looked around the robot. The thing was between him and the only way down. He flinched as it moved its hand, almost touching him. Instead, it placed the hand near the carved symbol on its body. As if in reply, the crystal sent a beam of green light straight into the symbol, connecting them a moment as its eyes glowed faintly.

Surprised, Ven tilted his head. It almost seemed like the robot wasn't trying to hurt him. He could hear a soft sound coming from the robot, as if it were trying to speak to him...

It then extended its hand, which he touched tentatively.

"What...are you?" he whispered.

Then a shrill sound broke the stillness, and a terrible force slammed into the robot, knocking him against the wall of the tower. Ven yelped as he was thrown backwards, almost screaming as the stone tower battered his head with pain. His consciousness faded just as he hit the ground, buried by falling rocks and debris.

"It's down! We got it!" The soldiers began to cheer.

"Secure the area!" Drulo shouted to them. "Don't touch the robot at all costs!" He highly doubted the thing was dead, but whether dead or alive, the robot was definitely a threat.

"Yes sir!" Using the fallen rubble, the soldiers began scaling the outer wall of the tower. They climbed all the way up to the roof, brandishing their guns as a precaution.

"What the hell was that thing?" one man asked, looking down at the robot fearfully. It had a large, canon ball-size dent in its torso, but otherwise looked to be fully intact.

"I don't know. The damn thing just came to life and started blowing everything sky high," Another replied, shaking his head at the whole thing. "I've never seen anything like it."

"There's the boy." An older, larger soldier walked over to him, brushing some of the rock and dust away. His slipped his rifle under the blonde's cheek and tilted it up, examining gruffly.

"Is he alright?"

"Just fainted," he grunted. "Lucky one, ain't he? Not a scratch on im, after that mess." He wasn't wounded at all, though he was a bit scuffed up from nearly being blasted off the tower. But no one was terribly concerned at the moment.

"Well then, wake him up. The colonel wanted him back in custody five minutes ago," the first soldier said stiffly, still eye the robot with awe and terror.

"He ain't going nowhere anytime soon, Gareth." Tapping his cheek hard a few times with the rifle, the man growled, "Alright now, brat. Get up."

"Oh god! It's moving!" A few twitches of its metal frame, and the robot was suddenly siting upright, glancing around at them all. If it had the ability to make expressions, one could be sure their hearts would have frozen over. What was once a soft green light was now rapidly turning red...

"Run!" Like cowards, the soldiers scrambled away from the raging monstrosity, some even throwing themselves off the tower as it fired a shot behind them. Men screamed in pain as the fire seared their limbs and flesh alive. And as it fired, it gently scooped Ven up in one arm, cradling him against it even as it set fire to everything in sight.


	10. Chapter 10

_"Ventus...Ven, wake up, dear..."_

_The blonde opened his eyes only to find himself still shrouded in darkness. A soft light from behind drew his attention, and he saw that it was his grandmother, glowing with a soft, blue light. _

_"I warned you that terrible things could happen. Why did you call the light for that evil man?"_

_"B-But I didn't!" he cried back, seeing her eyes grow cold and hard. This was like being scolded as a small boy, but somehow much scarier for reasons he couldn't place._

_ "You told me to use the spell if I needed it!"_

_"But you didn't need it," she hissed back, suddenly growing dark before his eyes. "I thought you were strong, boy, but your own power wasn't enough to save you. You're weak. And now you've handed a precious secret right into his hands."_

_"No!" He ran toward her, wishing only to fall into her warm embrace. But the farther he ran, the further away she seemed to get. "Please listen to me!"_

_"Spare the excuses, Ven." He turned to see the dark, shadowy form of his older brother looming over him, terrifyingly close. _

_"T-Terra?"_

_His older brother scowled at him, no love warmth or love or even recognition in his eyes. "You're a disgrace to our family. I should have kept that secret, not you. I would have held it even to my grave. I would have been worthy of its power."_

_The boy looked from one to the other, horrified, as tears already began trickling down his cheeks. _

_"That should have been my birthright."_

_Ven ran to him, finding he could reach his brother easily. He threw his arms around him and wept, trying to find understanding in those icy blue eyes. _

_"Why? W-Why are you talking like this? I've never heard you speak like this before!"_

_"Maybe you just weren't listening, Ven. Ever think of that?"_

_His grandmother's voice echoed behind him. "Terra should have been the one. He was always better than you, even as a boy. Stronger, braver, smarter..."_

_"No!" It wasn't true! Terra never hated him! They were different, yes, but all siblings were! He was weaker, but Terra had always loved him, he knew it! And he loved him back!_

_"It's true, Ven. You're such a child. You can't be bothered to look beyond, to see what you don't want to see." His brother pushed him back, and he screamed at the terrible monster standing before him. Terra was coal black, his once blue eyes large and yellow. They gleamed down at him, as a wide, toothy grin spread over that once empty face. _

_"Still so naive, little brother... Do you like what you see now?"_

_The boy jerked away from him, turning to call his grandmother for help. But he found that she had changed too, inky black with yellow eyes. Her limbs were growing longer, sharp nails growing gnarled from her fingers. _

_Before he could run, a sharp hand grabbed his face and jerked him back to look at his brother. That toothy smirk widened as the nails dug into his cheek, drawing blood. _

_"You're worthless, Ven." He laughed as Ven screamed and struggled to pull away. "You let us all die in vain. Now it's your turn..."_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

As he felt himself stirring, tears still flowing down his cheeks, Ven felt everything grow painfully hot. The smell of burning earth and something else choked his lungs, making him cough. Where was he? Why was everything so different here? Oh god, the smell. It was getting stronger...

Was this still part of his nightmare?

Blue eyes fluttered open, blinking as the large blurs of red and orange around him became clearer.

Fire.

He snapped awake with a start, instantly feeling pain in his head and body. He was back at the base, watching it burn all around him. Scariest of all, as he struggled to get up, Ven realized he was being held by the robot, who was still firing shots at anything that stirred in its field of vision. Ven saw soldiers below the tower wall, firing their rifles at them, but every bullet that came his way was blocked by the heavy metal "hand" that held him.

Looking up at the robot, he tried to sit up more. "Stop it! You're destroying everything!" No matter where he looked, there was fire, and the scent he recognized as burning earth and flesh repeatedly battered his senses. Coughing, he pounded on the rough metal exterior. "Please stop!"

Suddenly, a large shot flew by overhead, barely missing them. Before the boy could even trace where it came from, he heard a familiar voice calling out through the smoke and flame.

"Ventus!"

Looking back over the robot's shoulder, he saw a small, light colored little hover ship, with Captain Arlene herself piloting. At first he feared that he was caught, literally between a rock and a hard place, until the woman tilted to angle the ship, revealing a very worried-looking redhead.

"Lea! H-How?"

"No time, kid! Arlene, get closer!"

"Order me one more time, and I'm shoving you off!" she growled back. Just then, the robot noticed them, and started firing.

"No! Don't shoot them!" Ven begged, climbing up to the robot's head, trying with all his might to turn it away. The metal was hot and burned his hands, but he couldn't just sit there and do nothing!

The little ship managed to dodge, and flew once around the tower before shooting into the sky.

"Stop it! They're trying to help me!" The robot tilted its head at him, "eyes" losing some of their harsh redness. It grabbed the blonde in its hand, pulling him away from the head.

"Put me down! Please, you need to stop burning everything!" he shouted, squirming to get out. The robot's fingers were metal and unrelenting, and all he seemed to be doing was getting more bruised and battered the more he struggled. The thing wasn't paying him any mind at all. "Stop!"

Then, Ven blinked as he was set down on the wall of the tower. Still facing the robot, he looked up at the still-looming figure, as it gently let him go.

"What are you doing?" The robot touched the emblem on its chest once, before slowly placing its hand over it metal exterior. On any human, that was where a heart would be, beating just beneath the surface. Ven just looked at it, wondering what it could be thinking. Could it even think?

Its eyes cooled, the color changing from red to a soft, gentle green. They flashed once or twice at him, but Ven could only shake his head.

"I don't understand. What are you trying to say?"

A single metal finger pointed up, just as a large wave of fire fell down upon them. Goliath was firing several shots in succession, pummeling the robot into the roof and through the tower itself, as it exploded in scorching metal. Ven cried out as the robot fell, grasped for something to hold as the tower began to shake. Any moment now, the foundations would be struck, and the entire thing would topple to the ground.

Losing his footing, the boy tumbled off the edge of the tower, just as a gleam of light broke through the smokey sky.

"Hold on!" The hover ship came back into view, the pirate sending it into a mad dive after him, Lea hanging out of the back of the ship with arms wide open. He caught Ven just before they plummeted to the ground, pulling them both up as Arlene gunned the engine, carrying them safely away.

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"They're getting away!" Dilan shouted angrily. The soldiers nearest to him flinched as he set an icy glare on each of them. "Stop them! After them! Do something, you useless bastards!"

But there was nothing to do. The ships were all destroyed, crushed when the hanger collapsed on them. Goliath had the capacity to give chase once the engines had some time to warm up, but even if it could, the massive ship was facing other problems.

"Try and catch us now, military dogs!" The other pirates were circling the ship, spraying colored smoke around it. The screens were quickly becoming caked with gunk.

"Yeah! What's the matter? Got something in your eye?" one mulleted pirate chuckled, tossing a few bombs down their way. The soldiers coughed and scattered as the foul stench of rotten eggs and animal dung rose in the air around them. The general only covered his mouth and nose and swore.

"Get them!"

A few shots were fired, but the smoke obscured them as the pirates flew away, following the first ship quickly. By the time the smoke had cleared, they were no where in sight.

"Damn it!" Dilan turned to his men again, snapping, "Don't just stand there! Organize a pursuit team!"

They scrambled to life at once, coughing and swatting the air as they set about gathering whatever they could find. Anything that wasn't broken or on fire.

Drulo scowled at the direction they had vanished. The shot had worked perfectly, stopping the robot's rampage, but now that Ventus was gone again, they were left with another delay. Worse yet, the base was destroyed, much of its weaponry and ammunition gone. They had managed to save some, but not much as they fled.

Then something caught his eye. The man turned back to the ruined tower, seeing something gleam in the rubble. As the smoke faded and the fires were being doused, the sun glinted overhead, signaling the day.

"Wait one moment." He handed the radio off to Ienzo before approaching the rock. Digging for a moment, he smirked at his find.

The crystal was not lost after all.

Tapping it once or twice, Drulo discovered that the green light was still strong within. It still possessed the sacred light.

Holding the pendant in his hand, he brought it closer to him and whispered a few words. A small thread of light shot out of it, reflecting on his forehead until he moved. He watched the beam of light as it trailed up into the sky, until it disappeared behind the clouds.

"It's still pointing the way." With a smirk, he clenched the crystal in his hand.

"Sir?"

He turned to his escort calmly. "Tell the general that we'll be departing on time. It turns out we don't need the boy after all."


	11. Chapter 11

Once the danger was well behind them, the hoverships each in turn relaxed the push on the engines, letting the ships fly at an almost leisurely pace. Together in a long line across the sky, some kept watch behind them, ready at any moment to warn the rest of pursuers.

Arlene's ship sat in the middle of the line, lazily bobbing up and down in the wind. The woman kept her eyes forward, stern and unhappy, ignoring the two boys riding behind her.

Lea sighed softly, watching the land pass behind them as he thought. Ven had not left the comfort of his arms the entire way. The boy fell into a fit the moment he was safely on board, throwing himself into his friend's embrace and sobbing violently.

Lea had no idea how to calm him down, and had eventually just given up, as much as it pained him. Every time he had tried asking, the boy would only sob harder. Ven couldn't bring himself to say anything, so the redhead did his best to bear his worry in silence, letting the younger boy cry. Lea pet his head soothingly where it lay against his shoulder, his green eyes trying focus on the clouds, the sky, anything that would calm his own emotions.

So absorbed in their turmoil, neither boy noticed that the other pirates were watching them. Seifer rolled his eyes and kept his focus forward, like his mother, but everyone else looked concerned that at least half an hour had passed, and still Ven had not stopped crying. Even Hayner, who was the most calm and collected of the brothers, looked at him from the corner of his eye, his expression grave.

"Hey, Ventus?" Myde flew his ship a little closer, careful that the wings didn't tangle with his mother's. "Hey, cheer up, okay? It's alright now."

Surprisingly, the boy raised his head slightly, revealing tear-stained cheeks and red eyes.

"N-No it's not." He pressed his face to Lea's shoulder, the already damp shirt staining with new tears. "I can't..."

"Shhhh." The redhead hugged him closer. "You don't have to, Ven. Take as much time as you need."

The younger boy shook his head, shakily wiping his tears away. "I-It's not that...I just don't understand. Why?" He squeezed Lea's arm for comfort, and the older boy accepted it without complaint. "W-Why did any of this have to happen?"

"Ven..." Lea looked down at him sadly. In the short time they had known each other, the redhead had never seen him this shaken. What happened at the base after he had left?

"What Drulo did was...unforgivable." The blonde shivered in his arms, biting back another sob. His face was pale, haunted. "T-Terra..."

The redhead almost jumped when his friend fell back into his arms, overcome with tears. As much as he didn't want to force Ven, Lea was finding the urge to remain silent unbearable.

Myde, startled by the renewed onslaught of sobs, jerked his ship back, working for a moment to steady it. Seifer had to dodge to avoid their hover ships smacking into one another, glaring daggers at his brother.

"Watch where you're flying, dumbass!" Sneering at his mother's ship, he snapped," And you, brat! Shut the hell up already!"

"Back off, asshole!" Lea bit back immediately, pulling the shaking blonde protectively closer. "Ven's been through a lot, okay? Just leave him the hell alone!"

"Like I care!" Seifer scoffed, practically spitting at him. "You stupid brats have been nothing but trouble, and now it's all been for nothing! Hell, why are you still here? We should just toss you overboard right now!"

"Seifer, chill out!" Myde begged, righting his ship so that it was back in position. "It's been a crap day for all of us, alright? Can we please just settle down?"

"Always the goodie goodie, aren't you? Everything's gotta be sunshine and rainbows! Shut up, Myde! No body gives a rat's-"

"SHUT UP!"

Everyone jumped as Arlene gave the shrill command. The woman glared around at them, irritation and exhaustion crossing her face.

"All of you shut up. It's not enough that this brat's been whining the whole way, AND my crystal is GONE. Now I have to put up with you numbskulls arguing? Hell no! Seifer, shut up!" She glared at the other blonde, who's ship seemed to back away as he shrunk low. "Myde, mind your own damn business and shut up! Honestly!"

The boys looked down and grumbled back, "Yes, Captain."

Lea watched the exchange blankly, feeling all of the rage leaving him. He was too exhausted. This day had been so long. It was clear that everyone else was tired and miserable too. Even if they didn't show it, he was almost sure they were just as worried about Ven as he was.

Said blonde raised his head again and wiped his eyes.

"S-Sorry." His face was flushed with embarrassment. "I didn't mean to do that. I just-"

"Don't worry about it." Lea said quickly, gently lifting his chin so that the boy could meet his gaze. "You're safe now."

"But what about Drulo? He'll keep coming after us!"

"Ha." The boys looked to Arlene rolling her eyes. "Not likely. Without that crystal, you won't be any use to him. He probably has it right now."

Ven shook his head. "He needed me to make the stone come to life. Unless...No! If he has it, then...t-then the sacred light will lead him straight to Laputa!" Grabbing his friend by the arms, he spoke quickly. "Lea, we have to do something! If he gets there and gets his hands on that power, there's no telling what he'll do!"

The others listened as he told the story. About the robot that had fallen from Laputa, and Drulo's theories of the island's powers. That it wasn't just a city filled with treasure, but a powerful weapon. With such a force under his command, the man could set rampant chaos upon the world below.

"I bet the bastard was lying," Seifer said plainly, spitting over the side of the ship.

"We can't risk it," Myde replied quickly. "We want to go to Laputa anyway, so let's just beat him there!"

"We don't even know how to get there, dumbass!"

"I know the way!" Everyone turned to look at Ven, who shrank back a little. "I-I saw the direction the crystal was pointing to. If we follow that path, we'll find it, I'm sure!"

Arlene scratched her chin thoughtfully. "Or we'll end up crashing right into Goliath." When no one spoke again, she shrugged, a new look of excitement coming over her. "What the hell. We're pirates. Adventure and treasure are what we live for."

The other pirates gave a cheer.

"Will you come with us, Lea?" the blonde asked quietly. The older boy looked at him with disbelief.

"Are you kidding me? Of course I'm coming! This is our dream, remember?" Lea pulled him into a tight hug, earning a yelp from Ven. "We'll see Laputa together in style!"

"Well, if you're going to be a part of this crew, you lazy brats will have to work!" Arlene gave them a serious look. "This isn't a luxury cruise, you know. Don't pull your weight, and it's overboard you go."

Lea and Ven nodded at once. "Sounds fair."

"Hey, that's great! That means I don't have to do the dishes!" Myde gave a happy squeal and spun his hover ship around in the air. The others scooted away, grumbling at his antics, but Lea couldn't help but laugh. He was happy to see Ven smiling again, if only for a little while. And one way or another, their dream was coming true. They were finally going to see Laputa.

"So Red, do you know how to cook?"

The older boy blinked. "Uh, yeah. I can also repair parts of the ship and run the technical stuff." That was what he was best at. But really, the boy would do anything for this chance, even if he had to do grunt work for some sleazy pirates.

Arlene chuckled. "I see. And you, Ventus? What can you do?"

The blonde thought for a moment. "I can cook too, and clean. I can do some heavy lifting and chores. Whatever you need."

Hayner raised an eyebrow. "No offense, but you don't look like much, kid. You sure you can handle work?"

"Hey! I can!" the boy snapped back, pouting. "I grew up farming in the mountains! I'm a lot tougher than I look, jackass!"

"Sorry," the other boy quipped sarcastically, but his grin spread wider. "Just making sure you're not too delicate or anything."

"I'll show you delicate!" Ven grabbed a canteen of water from the side pouch on the ship and chucked it. Despite the wind, it hit its desired target with ease, clonking him upside the head.

"Hey! Low blow, brat!"

The smaller blonde stuck out his tongue. "That'll teach you to judge me, jerk."

"No more throwing my supplies overboard, or you'll be next." Arlene said flatly. The others just laughed it off. Even Seifer cracked a small smile.

The mood thus lightened, the group flew on. There was still no sight of a pursuit, and soon enough Arlene was the hover ship's little radio, making sure they were on the right course for the rendezvous. As they neared the main ship, the two friends huddle close together, watching as it loomed larger and larger. Lea sighed when he felt a smaller hand clasping over his own, and saw Ven looking at him sadly.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to-"

The redhead cut him off, pressing a finger to those lips. "I understand, Ven. It's in the past now, so let's not worry about it anymore."

"...Okay."

Lea smiled, turning his hand over and giving the other a reassuring squeeze. "We'll talk later, okay? Alone."

Ven nodded, offering him a small smile.

Looking down, Lea thought he could see a glimpse of the town. His home was there, and all of his friends. Hopefully, they would be safe for now.

_'I hope we'll see them again soon...'_


	12. Chapter 12

Once aboard the pirates' ship, Hayner and Seifer grabbed Lea and dragged out of sight. Ven watched hesitantly, not sure if he should follow.

Arlene ripped off her goggles and hung them on the a tack on the wall. "Come on, boy. I'll show you your station." She took his arm and dragged him off much the same as Lea. The blonde tried to match her pace, but the second they left the hanger, a strong wind forced him against the wall. He clutched the railing with his other hand, hoping he wouldn't be blown away the second the captain let go.

"Hurry up!" she snapped, making her way through the fierce wind with almost no problem. Ven stared, wondering how such a woman could hold her own like that. She was thinner than he was, but a few feet taller.

Blue eyes glanced back at him impatiently as she grasped the handle of a door on the opposite wall. Shaking his head, the smaller blonde grabbed the railing with both hands and pulled himself along as quickly as he could. The air currents never lifted him off his feet, but he felt better holding onto the metal just the same.

"Bout time." Once he reached her, Ven saw that the door Arlene had opened was a dark store room. He hurried inside after her and struggled to shut the door behind him.

"What do you think you're doing? Close that and we'll be locked in!" Startled, the boy let go and ran back to her. She turned away and began routing through some old bins, pulling out things he could barely see, even with the light coming in. What was she looking for?

"No...Hmmm...nope. Nope. Ah, maybe this one." She turned back to him, holding up a billowing shirt. Ven blinked at her.

"For me?"

"If you're gonna be a pirate, I can't be embarrassed to be seen with you. Get enough of that with my boys." She tossed more fabric over her arm, nodding to herself as she sorted. "These'll hold up better while working, too."

The boy looked down at his clothes a moment, silently agreeing. Even if they were rather fine, he didn't want them. He wanted nothing to do with Drulo ever again.

"Change into these," Arlene said finally, tossing the clothes at him. Not expecting them, he yelped and tried to catch everything, wincing when a pair of boots slipped out of his grasp and hit the floor.

The captain paid no mind, though. She stood in the doorway looking out, the wind pushing her hair back against her head. "Hurry up. I don't have all day."

"Right!" He scrambled to pick everything up and quickly changed. The fabric was coarse and worn, but surprisingly comfortable. Soon, he was slipping on the boots and shrugging on the jacket. It was warm, and surprisingly didn't chafe like he expected.

Once that was done, they ventured to the control room. Arlene led him to a table covered in papers, and she shoved them aside with little care, revealing a large, yellowing map underneath. The pirate exchanged a few words with the pilot, then she and Ven began calculating the angle of the crystal's light.

"You're sure now? South-east?"

The boy nodded. "The sun was rising, and the crystal pointed to the right of it. Probably closer to south-south-east, now that I think about it, because the sun rises a little further south in the grass-cutting season." He traced his finger along the map, out from the location of the base.

For the first time all morning, the woman smiled at him. It wasn't vicious or calculating, just a gentle smile.

"Excellent. You've got some good brains in you after all." With a chuckle, she grabbed the phone on the wall and flipped the switch. "Attention all hands! We've routed the course to Laputa. If we can catch the wind, we'll be just slightly ahead of Goliath. From there, we just ride her tail straight to it. So the first one who spots the ship will earn himself a rich reward!"

Just as she finished speaking, the door slammed open, sending papers flying everywhere. Seifer stood in the doorway, a devious smirk on his lips.

"What's this reward, huh? Inquiring minds want to know."

"Hmph. Just you wait and find out, boy. Come to think of it, aren't you supposed to be on lookout now?"

The blonde rolled his eyes. "Dumbass has it covered. Didn't think we'd see the ship this soon anyway."

Arlene nodded. "Well, no shirking off now. Ventus," The boy, who had previously been gathering the scattered documents, snapped to attention. "Don't bother with that. Come with me." She turned to leave as he dropped everything in a mess, scrambling to follow.

Meanwhile, Lea was down below deck, facing issues of his own.

"So, this is my new assistant, eh?" The old man squinted, looking him over with mild irritation. The redhead just stared back, wondering how it was a woman like Arlene had married this crazy-eyed, hunched, fierce-looking old-

"PAY ATTENTION!" Lea started for a moment, meeting his eyes again and nodding quickly. "I have no patience for slackers, young man. If you are going to assist me, you damn well better be attentive. Sharp as a tack. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Under Even's direction, he set to work fixing a jam in one of the gears. The thing was rusty and cracked somewhat, but he had it replaced in no time. Lea worked fast and efficiently, and soon even the old man seemed impressed. He tried to hide it as best he could, though.

"You have a family, boy?" Working beneath one of the larger machines, he had the boy pass tools to him as needed. "Wrench."

Lea handed him the wrench and shrugged. "Not really. I've been by myself for a while now. But the people in town were nice enough to help me out when I really needed it."

Even hummed in response, the sound of groaning, rusty squeaks emitting from the crawlspace.

"There was another boy here with you, wasn't there? The one with that crystal my wife has been hunting?"

"Yeah, he's probably off helping with navigation or something like that." In truth, he felt really bad for Ven. That gem was precious to him, and now it was lost somewhere back in that awful base. He doubted Ven would want to go back for it. After all that he'd been through, there were still so many bad things happening to him.

"BOY!" Lea jumped, looking down to see the old man holding the wrench back out to him. "I said, pass me the bigger one! This one won't do it."

"Right. Sorry." Slightly embarrassed, he did as he was told. He needed to pay better attention. He would see Ven later.

They would be able to talk then.

"I take it this Ventus is very important to you."

Blinking, Lea looked down at him for a moment, although he couldn't see the other's expression. The question seemed neutral.

"Well, yes. He's my friend." If he truly wanted to find Laputa, even if the redhead didn't already want to see it so badly, he would have helped him. There were so many mysteries surrounding the floating island. Perhaps they would hold the key to unlocking the secrets of Ven's past.

"Perhaps your devotion runs deeper than you think," Even replied casually, cursing as he adjusted something with a loud groan.

"What do you mean?"

Pulling himself out from underneath, Lea saw the man covered in grease. He pulled his googles up over his head, then pointed to the surrounding machines.

"We'll tackle that one first, and depending on the time it takes, we'll get those two after supper." Ignoring Lea's curious gaze, he stood, stretched his back with a resounding series of pops and cracks, then headed for the door. The redhead just sat there, bewildered. What devotion was he talking about?

He placed a hand over his heart, thinking. When he thought of Ven, he felt a warmth in his chest. Sometimes a tight feeling, there and in his stomach. He just assumed it was worry, because of Ven's recent predicament, but what if...

What if it was something more?

"I want to protect him," Lea said aloud, trying to answer his own question. "I want to make sure he keeps smiling." That smile was like sunshine breaking through the clouds after a storm, radiant and uplifting. It made him want to smile too.

Before he could think on it more, Even poked his head back into the doorway.

"Hurry up, boy! The tools we have are too small for the next job. Come carry the larger ones for me."

The redhead scrambled to his feet, his thoughts temporarily forgotten. "Yes, sir!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Arlene showed Ven to the galley, opening the door to a heaping mess of crusted food and crockery.

"This is where you'll be working," she said cheerfully, ignorant of the exasperated look on the boy's face. The smell was what hit him first. The small room stank of something dead and burned, with a slight mix of something sulfuric that had Ven covering his nose right away. Was that rotten eggs?

Grease and old food clung to the insides and outsides of pots, dripping into the sink and onto the floor. Dishes were piled almost to the ceiling. Ven wondered how they didn't fall when the ship passed through turbulence. "Your job is to clean this up and have things ship-shape and ready for action in one hour."

"One hour?!" The blonde looked horrified. "But, look at it! How can I-"

"Ah ah ah!" She silenced him with a wave of her finger. "No buts, boy. This will be cleaned up and ready to serve in one hour, or it's overboard you go."

Ven stuttered a protest as she dropped a sloshing bucket of soapy water into his hand. The motion almost caused the contents to spill on him, and he stepped back, wincing as some water hit the floor.

"Now, make something good. We've got plenty of ingredients for whatever you need. Just make sure they get some vegetables in there. Damn brats never want to eat stuff that's good for em," she growled, shaking her head at that.

"But I-"

"And be sure to make lots of it. The boys get awful hungry," she said with a chuckle, tousling his hair roughly. "You'll serve up to six meals a day."

"Six?!" Ven looked up at her, distraught. "A-All by myself?"

"Yep! Now get to work! Time's a-wasting!" With that, Arlene disappeared with a loud slam of the door.

Ven just stared at it for a moment, confused and more than a little afraid. She wasn't serious about throwing him overboard, was she? How on earth did she expect him to do this all by himself?

Looking back at the mountain of dishes, he narrowed his eyes and began forcing his sleeves higher up on his arms. The longer he stood there, the less time he had.

_'I can do this,' _chanted his mental mantra, _I can do this, I can do this...'_


	13. Chapter 13

"Those are cute kids you picked up."

Arlene rolled her eyes before returning her attention to the map. The man shook his head with a smile.

"I forgot how much of a softy you really are. It's very endearing."

"Go away," she snapped impatiently. "Unless you have good news for me, get your ass back to work."

"I said it was endearing. And a good move, if I may say so. The children could prove very useful." He already saw great potential in Lea, more than just a knack for engineering.

Arlene grunted, not really answering. Even crossed the room and stood at her side, peering down at the map. He saw that she had marked it well, tracing the path Goliath would travel. If they stayed their course, there would be a confrontation soon. Of that, he was quite sure. "Looks like we'll have to buy a new map when this journey is over."

"Nonsense. It's in perfect condition otherwise. I'm not spending the money."

"You could always just steal another when we-"

"Do you have some reason to bother me?!" the captain growled, facing him with a glare.

"Not really. I was just curious about tonight's menu."

Arlene's eye gave a twitch. Sensing his cue to leave, the man shrugged his shoulders and grabbed a loose screwdriver lying in a cluttered pile of pens, tools, and lighters.

"I'll be borrowing this."

He was gone then, shutting the door just as pair of scissors scrapped the interior, clattering to the floor.

The pirate steering looked around, alarmed, but caught Arlene's gaze and said nothing. Despite being years younger, he doubted he could be more agile than the captain's husband. He had at least a decade of practice.

"What are you gawking at? Back to work!" The woman's voice was like the crack of a whip. Instantly, his eyes were back on the window, hands gripping the wheel a little too tightly.

Arlene scoffed, returning to her work with agitated strokes of the pen.

She was NOT going soft.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"H-Hey."

Ven blinked, looking away from the pot he'd been stirring. A familiar young pirate stood in the doorway, letting a gust of wind into the galley.

"Could you close the door please?" he asked, offering the other boy a slight smile. "It's a bit windy."

"Uh, yeah! Right!" Myde stepped fully into the room and shut the door, still gazing around the kitchen with something like awe. "Woah...You really fixed this place up quick!"

It was true. Piles of clean dishes sat on a dry cloth beside the sink, practically glistening now. A few stains still remained on the pots, but there was only so much that could be done there. Every surface was grime free, and even the stove top was clear of the usual filth. It was like walking into a completely different kitchen.

Ven chuckled a little, careful to keep an eye on the food. The water was about ready to boil.

"It wasn't easy. I was pretty intimidated when I came in. How in the hell did you guys manage to get this place so messy?"

Myde scratched the back of his head, suddenly looking very sheepish.

"Well, to tell the truth, that was my fault."

The younger boy blinked at him, an amused smiled growing on his face.

"Really?"

"It was actually pretty recently that this happened. You see," he stepped closer, eyes darting about for a moment before he whispered, "I told everyone that the meat just exploded all over the kitchen. That I had no idea what happened. I lied because I didn't want Mom to beat me up, but the truth is that I'm just terrible at cooking. No one should let me near this stuff. Not ever."

"We knew you were lying, dumbass."

Myde yelped and spun towards the door, a bemused Ven looking over his shoulder. Hayner was there now, shutting the door behind him and placing his hands on his hips.

"You can't be excused from kitchen duty just because you don't like it."

"It's not that! I literally can't do it, Hayner!"

The other boy snorted. "Yeah, sure. Don't you have a job you CAN do? That you SHOULD be doing? Why are you distracting him?"

Myde pouted. "I'm not distracting him! I finished early and I wanted to see if I could help!"

Hayner said, "That's a dumb idea," just as Ven quickly interrupted, "That doesn't sound like a good idea." The two looked at each other for a moment, then smiled.

"This kid is alright," Hayner said with a wide grin. "How's the food coming?"

Myde looked annoyed at being ignored, but the other two blondes didn't pay him much mind.

"Slowly. Cleaning took a while. I only just started on the soup." Ven looked to the ingredients on the cutting board, sighing a little. "I haven't had time to wash the vegetables or start the roast."

"We can help!" the oldest interjected, running to his brother and pulling him further into the galley. "We both have time! Can we, please?"

Surprised but more than a little thankful, Ven regarded both of them quietly for a moment. Myde seemed very excited, but was sure to be clumsy if he had to do anything complicated. Hayner looked a little less enthused, but still seemed to be okay with helping. It was nice of them both to offer, even though he could have used more help earlier. Especially since it was Myde's mess to clean up in the first place.

Finally, the blonde nodded.

"That would be great. You can be in charge of washing vegetables." He pointed to Myde, then to Hayner. "You can help me mince them when they're ready."

From then on, Ven spent the rest of the afternoon with the two brothers. He found that Myde was very nice and well-intentioned, despite his failings, and Hayner had a good sense of humor. They chatted for a long time, talking about what pirate life was like at its best and worst. Ven, in turn, told them about the farm he grew up on. He almost didn't notice when it was time to serve the food.

He was glad he had made plenty. Practically the entire crew filed into the room and sat down at the table, ready and waiting to eat. He smiled when he saw Lea was among them.

"Hurry up, brat! And don't forget to take some to the Captain and Dad!"

Ven winced, but nodded, hurrying to do just that. For as much as he seemed to get along with Myde and Hayner, the boy didn't like Seifer much at all.

"Can I have seconds over here?"

"Me too! Top me off, will you kid?"

"Hey! Wait your turn! I still didn't get any!"

Ven paused as he sighed with exasperation, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

The pirates were a demanding bunch, but most of them seemed nice. When he returned from delivering the food, he chatted with them some more, particularly the two brothers. He managed to tell one or two good jokes that had the whole table laughing, chuckling himself as Hayner playfully shoved him. Even Seifer looked ready to crack a smile, but he never did. He just sipped his drink and called for more helpings.

Despite his earlier worries, Ven felt happy. Almost like he was at home again.

He was oblivious to the one narrowed gaze in his direction.

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Clean up was no picnic, but it was easier than before. Ven cleaned a little as he finished with things, which left less mess afterwards. Myde offered to help, but he waved him off with a smile, saying it was no big deal. That didn't stop Hayner and him from sticking around when most of the crew had left.

"Did you get a load of Seifer earlier? He eats the most out of all us! We have to keep the galley stocked constantly, just to feed him!"

"I can tell," Ven replied cheerfully, as he scrubbed the soup pot over the sink. "What does he do that makes him that hungry?"

Myde grinned at him. "Almost nothing. And he calls me the lazy one!"

"It's cuz you are," Hayner said, rolling his eyes. "But Seifer's a weird case. He's got this crazy metabolism or something, so even when he's not doing anything, he's got to eat a whole mountain."

They laughed for a good while. Ven finished up in decent time, but by the end of it, he was yawning something awful. He hadn't been this tired in a while...

"Come on, kid." The blonde blinked, realizing he was about to doze off. He then felt himself lifted to lean on someone's shoulder, and saw that it was Hayner's.

"Sorry." He couldn't help but blush, especially because he was mumbling a bit. The older boy gave him an easy smile.

"It's no problem. Been a big day for you." With Myde's help, the three of them made it to the bunk room. All of the beds and hammocks were occupied, but the brothers grabbed a pillow and a blanket and helped the tired boy get comfortable on the floor. Snuggling into the soft pillow, he thanked them quietly, looking around and spotting Lea curling up on the floor some feet away. The redhead was under a rather rickety-looking table.

Ven vaguely felt bad that he hadn't gotten a chance to speak to his friend all day. Well, not alone at least. He was sure Lea wanted to talk to him, but he had gotten caught up by everything.

His thoughts lingered on this as he drifted in and out of sleep. On one hazy waking, which he was sure it was painfully early morning, he caught sight of movement in the dark bunkroom.

Lea was leaving the room with one of the pirates. Ven sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes before he returned them to the now closed door.

Where was he going?


	14. Chapter 14

Augner wasn't kidding when he'd said it'd be cold that night.

The moment Lea stepped outside, he was grateful for the large, fleece jacket he had grabbed. The wind wasn't unbearable, but the cold was biting, stinging his face and ears and driving the groggy, sleepiness right out of him.

Clutching the jacket tighter around him, he followed the other pirate up to the crow's nest, an interesting little perch in the shape of a basket on top of the ship. Watch duty was taken in shifts, and someone had decided it was his turn.

The redhead carefully climbed the exterior of the ship, wedging his hands and feet into the footholds as securely as he could. There was no harness or rope to keep him from falling if he let go, and then he would be lost to the open sky.

The pirate waiting in the crow's nest looked up, relieved. His face was a little blue, but he was wearing the same kind of heavy fleece that Lea had on.

"You're taking over this shift now, yes?" The boy nodded, pulling himself over the edge quickly. "Thanks! It's fucking cold tonight."

"I hadn't noticed," he muttered irritably. The pirate paid no mind, carefully climbing down the side of the ship until he disappeared from sight.

He was alone.

Lea looked out into the dark sky thoughtfully. There was nothing for miles but some scattered cloud coverage and a few stars dotting the blackness above. It was quiet and peaceful, save for the slight roar of the wind and the engine. Most sound was lost to the infinite sky, as the airship moved along, breaking up the clouds as it passed.

Shivering slightly, he stood in silence, looking out over everything with a thoughtful expression. Now that he was awake again, his mind drifted to his feelings from earlier. A little loneliness, bitterness, jealousy...

He hadn't seen Ven much at all before supper, and when it was finally time to eat, he had no chance to speak to him at all. The blonde's attention was consumed by two of the pirates they had flown with earlier, particularly the younger one. The other blonde was laughing with him and jostling him, like they were brothers. Or old friends.

Or maybe even-

Lea shook the thought away. He must have imagined it. They had only been aboard the ship for a day! Surely it couldn't be that!

But his friend looked so happy. He should be happy for him, with him, but for some reason, Lea just couldn't feel it. What was wrong with him?

He looked down over the side of the ship absently, trying to distract himself, blinking as he spotted something on the side of the ship.

"Ven?"

The blonde smiled at him, though it looked a little strained by the cold. Ven was climbing very clumsily up the footholds to the crow's nest, slipping like he was trying to push off from solid ice.

"Ven, what are you doing here?" The older boy looked at him like he was crazy, reaching a hand out to pull him up. The blonde took it gratefully, but slipped further, this time completely losing his holds. He was a light grip away from being blown off the ship.

"Hold on! I've got you!"

With some effort, he pulled Ven to safety, hugging the boy tightly in his arms. It took him a moment to realize that he wasn't letting go, that his arms were shaking slightly and it wasn't from the cold. He blushed, stepping away from his friend as he rubbed his arms nervously.

"Sorry."

The boy shook his head. "No worries. You saved the day, once again." With a wide smile, he moved to the edge and leaned over, looking out into the sky. "Look at that! You can see for miles up here!"

Ignoring his embarrassment, the older boy smiled and walked up beside him, enjoying Ven's wonder.

"You said you were on an airship before. Is it really that spectacular?"

"Are you kidding? Of course it is! Look at it!" The blonde sighed, reaching out to touch a wisp of cloud as it passed closed to the nest. "So beautiful."

"Yeah, it is," Lea muttered, though his gaze was not entirely focused on the view.

Lea thought he could drown in those deep, beautiful eyes. They shimmered faintly as the boy's gaze shifted further along the horizon.

With some bitterness, he remembered how happy Ven looked with Hayner. How could _he_ make Ven smile like?

"What are you thinking about?"

Blinking, he looked down, seeing curious blue eyes watching him.

"Nothing much. Why do you ask?"

Ven frowned slightly. "You look unhappy about something. Your muscles are tense and you were just clenching the railing pretty tightly."

Blushing again, Lea quickly pulled his hands away, shoving them in his pockets. Why the hell did his friend have to be so damn perceptive?

"It's nothing," he repeated, hating that the blonde's frown deepened. He didn't want to cause that look. It was a piss-poor substitute for that dazzling smile he liked so much.

Desperate for a subject change, the redhead was thankful when Ven turned away, looking thoughtful as he gazed up at the moon. It was a delicate crescent tonight, like a sliver stuck in the darkness.

They stood quietly for a few moments, looking anywhere but at one another. All the while, Lea was cursing his stupidity. He could have asked questions and gotten his answers! Did Ven like him? Did he like Hayner? How exactly did he _like _either of them?

Why was he suddenly so concerned about this? He had only know Ven for a short while. Why was it suddenly so important?

Finally, Ven spoke again, breaking through the hum of the night wind.

"D-Did you want to talk about e-earlier?"

Instantly, the redhead turned to face him, worry etched in his features. He had noticed the slight stutter, and was suddenly alarmed to find that his friend was shivering, hugging himself tightly to keep warm.

"Ven, why didn't you grab a coat before you came up here?" Lifting up the overly large jacket, he slid the hem over Ven's head and pulled the heavy fleece down around both of them. Once in, he grabbed icy hands and rubbed them in his own, thoughtlessly trying to warm the other boy up. "You're freezing..."

Ven blushed a little. "S-Sorry. I saw where you went and I just kind of followed. I didn't think about it much."

"Just be more careful next time." Softening his stern expression, he slowly let go of the blonde's hands. "Now we can talk. Tell me what you want to tell me."

The younger boy sighed heavily, meeting his gaze with a tired look. With some hesitation, he told Lea everything about his encounter at the military base.

"So you brought the robot to life?" Lea asked with amazement. Ven nodded somberly. "That's pretty cool."

It wasn't as cool to his friend, unfortunately. He was sad that the robot had died to save his life, and only felt horrified when he thought about all the magic power that was connected to his pendant.

"I didn't mean to bring it to life. I just repeated a spell Granny taught me when I was small. I had no idea those silly words she taught me could have real power." He shuddered a little as Lea patted his shoulder.

"Did she teach you other spells?"

"Yes. A lot of spells were just for little things, like finding lost items and retaining memory. But she taught me others too, including one that she warned me to never, ever use."

The redhead blinked. "What spell was that?"

Ven paused for a moment, then spoke softly.

"It's called the spell of destruction." Looking up, he caught worried green eyes looking back at him. "In order to give power to good spells, Granny said I would have to know bad ones too. It's a powerful, terrible spell. I was so scared when I learned it that I couldn't sleep for days." The blonde shivered, this time not because of the cold. "Now, the more that I think about what my pendant could do, I'm even more worried. If Drulo has it, what if he's using spells too?"

Lea struggled to find something to say. Nothing sounded right to him, and all he could think was how stupid he had been. Worrying over silly things like affections while Ven was coping with all these worries. He hoped the experience at the base hadn't traumatized the poor kid.

Lea was overcome by an even stronger desire to protect Ven's smile, even if he wasn't the one to cause it. Ven deserved happiness with whoever he wanted, however he wanted.

Ignoring the slight twinge of pain in his heart, the redhead wrapped his arms around the younger boy comfortingly.

"Don't you worry, Ven. We'll find Laputa first, take back the crystal, and make sure they can never fall into the wrong hands again."

"Will we?" His gaze pierced through Lea, desperate to trust those words. But it couldn't be that simple.

"I almost don't want to go, but at the same time..." Ven leaned against him, letting his eyes drift closed. "I've got to try. If it is the home of my ancestors, I have to make sure it's protected."

Then, with a bit more struggle, and plenty of tears, the blonde told him what he'd learned about his brother's fate.

"Oh, Ven...I'm so sorry." Lea felt tears in his own eyes as he hugged his friend tightly. How could life be so continually cruel to one person?

He felt pain; shame that he hadn't been there for Ven, instead he yelled and wrongly accused him; anger that the military would be so ruthless. Weren't they supposed to help people? He had never personally like the military, but he would never have pegged them for kidnappers and cold-blooded murders.

The blonde sniffled, burying his chilled face into Lea's chest again. "T-They took me away before I could f-find him. Now I'll n-never see him again."

"Ven..." Lea soothed him as best he could, lifting that fair face to look at him. "There's nothing we can do about it now. I wish I could go back in time and stop all this shit from happening, but I can't. You have to pick yourself up and keep going."

"I k-know, but-"

"Shhhhh," the older boy whispered, pressing a finger to his lips. "Terra wouldn't want you to cry forever, would he?"

"N-No." Ven wiped his eyes, then looked up at him fearfully. "But my dream-"

"Was just that. A dream." Lea squeezed him tighter, happy to feel his friend shaking a lot less. "It doesn't mean anything, just that you're worrying too much about everything. Like you said, you have to see this through, and that means you have to be strong. You can still be afraid, but you can't let fears stop you."

"I know." The faintest smile crossed the sad boy's face. He buried into the older boy's chest, letting the last of his tears go. Despite the chill, Lea slipped his hand out of the jacket and began running his fingers through Ven's hair soothingly. The boy was calming now, but he hugged the redhead tighter and rested his head gently to the side.

They stayed quiet for a while, just holding on another. Lea was more than happy enough to stay that way, because it staved off the cold and Ven just seemed to fit so perfectly in his arms.

The blonde finally sighed, pulling back slightly to look at him.

"Thank you. I...I'm glad you're here with me, Lea. I don't think I could be even remotely strong without you."

"Don't sell yourself short, kid. You're stronger than you realize." His hand traced down to the younger boy's cheek and stroked it softly.

"I wish you would see it." Without thinking, Lea leaned forward and kissed his cheek, making blue eyes go wide. The redhead blinked, confused at first, then realized what he'd done.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry! I have no idea where that came from! Uh, just forget it!" His mind raced. '_Stupid, stupid! Why the hell would you do that?! Now he's going to think you're a creep! Taking advantage of him! You sick-'_

"But I don't want to."

Stunned, he refocused on the other boy, seeing a soft blush and a...happy look? Without another word, Ven grabbed the collar of his shirt and tugged it harshly, forcing Lea's lips to meet his own.

He couldn't believe it. He was kissing Ven. Just like that, totally out of the blue. Ven's lips were warm and soft, caressing his oh so gently as a small, pale hand fisted in the fabric of his shirt.

It was a chaste kiss, but it still felt so passionate somehow. The blonde was the first to pull away, laughing when Lea pressed forward to continue where they left off. Ven was beaming at him with a smile that was both adorably shy and at the same time the most beautiful than he'd ever seen before. He was rendered utterly breathless by it, filled only with the desire to claim it again.

Ven kept smiling, chuckling and holding him close while still ducking away from any more of his attempted kisses.

"I wondered if you felt the same," the younger boy said simply, cupping the side of his face tenderly. "I suppose this is my answer."

"You felt it too? But I thought...Hayner..."

"Hayner?" Ven blinked at him, confused. "You thought I liked Hayner?...No, I just thought he and Myde seemed nice. I was just trying to make friends."

"Oh...O-Okay then." Fighting his urge to kiss his friend again, Lea just held him, too happy to really care that he was a total idiot. Or that Ven was laughing at him.

At least the mood had improved. The kiss might not have been such a bad idea after all...

"You are really cute, Lea." Ven stood up on his toes and pecked him quickly on the lips. Far too quick, in the redhead's opinion. "You know, we should really be focusing on the watch."

Oh yeah. The reason they were even up in the crow's nest in the first place.

Lea smacked his forehead. "Wow, I'm dumb. You're right. We should be paying attention. But I have to ask..." He hesitated a little. "Why me? And what does this make us now?"

Under the jacket, he felt Ven grip one of his hands tightly in his own. The clear, deep blue eyes that met his gaze reflected nothing but sincerity.

"It could never have been anyone else. Even before we were friends, I was a stranger to you, a nobody, and you cared for me out of the goodness of your heart. You never used or hurt me." The hand holding his squeezed tighter. "You've saved my life more times than I saved yours. But it's more than that. Your dreams are mine now. Not just to see Laputa, but I want...I want you to be happy, no matter what happens."

Lea saw that they were both blushing again, and he smiled. He understood now.

"I feel the same...When this is over, I-I'd like to see your home. I know it was burned down, but I still want to go and see where you were born. I want to see if it's as beautiful as you said." After that, who knew? If fate was kind, perhaps they could return to town and settle down there. They'd be able to start anew, and still be among friends. Whether Ven liked him or loved him, he would be content to just live and work by his side. To keep him happy in whatever way he could.

The boy had literally fallen into his life only days ago, and already he was wedged in Lea's heart.

Ven nodded. "I think I'd like that."

"So, does this mean you love me?"

The blonde opened his mouth, but no words came. His gaze fell upon the clouds underneath the ship, eyes widening.

"Lea, look! What is that?" The redhead looked down and saw what alarmed him. A giant shadow coming up through the clouds.

Instantly he hand the nest's phone in hand.

"Captain! We've spotted Goliath right under the bow!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Arlene slammed the door as it opened, stepping out just in time to see the massive air destroyer burst through the clouds below.

"Turn hard to starboard!" she shouted into the phone. "Get us out of their path now!"

In seconds, the crew was up and moving. The guns on the Tigerlily were puny compared to Goliath's, but the captain stationed men in each position all the same. A few canons were loaded with smoke bombs in the event of a hasty retreat, but they wouldn't do much if the wind picked.

And it seemed they were headed straight for some nasty-looking storm clouds.

"Man your stations! Hurry up, you dogs, or they'll spot us!"

As the ship moved right, Goliath came up in its wake, guns already firing. Cursing, Arlene muscled her way to the control room and took the wheel from the uncertain pilot, whipping the wooden struck as far and as fast to the right as it would go. The ship rattled and shook as it dodged and took fire, but she held firm, even as a canon exploded into the room just several feet away.

"We have to let them plow ahead! Pull behind where the canons can't reach us! Now!" She glared out the window ahead, spotting dark clouds in the distance. "That better not be what I think it is."

Myde answered one of the phones just as it rang, lifting to his ear before calling, "Mom, there's another call from the crow's nest!"

"CALL ME CAPTAIN, GOD DAMN IT!" He winced as she snatched the phone away, stretching the cord to an almost perfect straight line. "What is so important that you brats have got to-"

"Captain!" Lea's voice was somewhat muffled by the wind, but his tone was clear and urgent. "Captain! There's a huge storm cloud ahead of us!"

"You think I haven't noticed that?! It's right in fucking front of us, Lea, now what about it?!"

"I've only seen one other cloud like it! Look, do you see the winds blowing in two different directions?"

"I'm a little busy worrying about Goliath here!" she shrieked back, just as the other ship began to descend back into the clouds below. "I'm not piloting my ship into a hurricane!"

"But we have to! That's Laputa!"


End file.
